Directions (2017): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2017, Directions is a drama film directed by Stephan Komandarev, running about 103 minutes. “Bulgaria remains optimistic, mainly because all the realists and pessimists have left” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. A road movie set in present day Bulgaria, a country remains optimistic, mainly because all the realists and pessimists have left. At a meeting with his banker, a small business owner, who drives a cab to make ends meet, discovers the bribe he will have to pay to get a loan has doubled. The ethics board that reviewed his complaint about extortion now wants its share of the action. At his wit's end, he shoots the banker and then himself. The incident sparks national debate on talk radio about how despair has taken over civil society. Meanwhile, six taxi drivers and their passengers move through the night, each in hope of finding a brighter way forward.

Who’s in it. Directions stars Ivan Barnev as Vlado, Georgi Kadurin as Popov, Borislava Stratieva as Lora and Anna Komandareva as Nikol, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.8/10, Directions has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Directions page.

If you liked it. Fans of Directions tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.