LIVE FROM THE INDUSTRY@TALLINN & BALTIC EVENT
If you wish to find isolation and loneliness neatly captured inside one movie, then look no further. Peanuts is a story of subtle emotional violence.
Twenty-five-year-old Ronja (Elina Soosaar) feels sidelined inside her own home, the little apartment which she shares with her partner Andreas. Her other half constantly overshadows her, even on her birthday party. She seeks to attract the attention of Andreas and their guests, but her pleas for love and understanding land flat on their face, and Ronja is consistently met with indifference. She feels completely heartbroken.
Peanuts evokes the very familiar feeling of alienation. The settings are homely and cosy, with warm fairy lights. Yet our lead doesn’t feel at home. The ensuing events are devastating. Ronja is a timid, innocent and repressed woman. Her emotional isolation will send shivers down your spine. The transition from background extra to a swivel-eyed centre-of-attention is remarkabl;e, and Soosaar deserves praise for her performance. The other main character – dare I say: the antagonist – Andreas (Robin Täpp) is also skilfully portrayed, hand is emotions and drives easy to grasp. He is not a bad person, and his actions are not malicious. His greatest flaws are his suffocating apathy and selfishness. They end harming both him and his partner.
Within just 16 minutes and with a very straightforward plot to hand, Estonian director Loviisa Jännes crafts a palpable sense of tension. Peanuts keeps viewers on the edge of their seats in anticipation of a big twist and potential horror that could unfold, disrupting the apparent tranquility of the environment. The director and cinematographer achieve this without technical wizardry: there are no light tricks and special effects. The effective images draw viewers into the story, eventually leaving them alone and helpless inside a dark tunnel.
Peanuts shows in the PÖFF Shorts section of the 29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. This review was written as part of the Film Review Workshop conducted on November 9th, 2025.
