#HOTDOCS: “ANTIDOTE” REVIEW

By Amanda Gilmore

In an era of rising geopolitical tensions and shrinking democratic spaces, Antidote serves as both a warning and a call to vigilance for audiences worldwide.

This riveting Documentary follows investigative journalist Christo Grozev, a Co-founder of Bellingcat. Through open-source investigation, Grozev uncovers and exposes the vast network of Russia’s state-employed assassins who are tasked with eliminating political opponents like Alexei Navalny. But due to this, there is a bounty on his head, and spies all over Europe are trying to assassinate him.

Director James Jones unearths the global impact of Putin’s regime and the real human costs borne by activists and journalists. He takes us behind the scenes to see what it means to be a target of Putin’s regime by following individuals who are current targets. It’s a true look behind the headlines that will leave audiences haunted.

Overall, Antidote is an exploration of the Kremlin’s campaign to silence investigative journalism into Russian government corruption and it weaves together personal stories to give a rounded examination.

Antidote screens at Hot Docs ’25:

April 26 at 6 PM at Hot Docs Cinema

April 28 at 10:45 AM at TIFF Lightbox 1