In addition to following the Kara-Murzas, we also see how Gorzev's family is affected by his involvement in this work. His son makes an appearance on camera, his daughter's voice is heard over the phone, and the enigma shrouding his father's disappearance ties the personal and professional together in palpable ways. Loss, separation, and dread are emotions that drive these individuals at all times— yet what the film cleverly reveals is the reason behind their persistence with their work.
The emotional beats do not drive the narrative of “Antidote” despite all these. Grozev becomes the main character in this investigative reporting, and Europe plus North America are where he travels back and forth trying to unravel the poisoning scheme. Although he is systematic and persistent, his methods are very un-Hollywood. A journalist that purchases information over the internet with crypto then later sits for hours with spreadsheets making sense out of numbers. Yet Jones and Rupert Houseman succeed in injecting drama into the story: they manage tension using quick cuts between different storylines.
Alongside Grozev, the film also introduces two other activists. The first one is an unnamed scientist who took part in Russia's program of creating poisons. Upon discovering that the poison he had developed was used to kill Putin’s opponents, he decided to expose the scandal and became a whistleblower. The movie shows how Grozev, who made his revelations public, tries to assist him and his family in leaving Russia for the European Union. The scientist's face is deliberately obscured using digital techniques by the filmmakers so as to keep his identity secret. The scenes depicting his escape are dramatized like those from a typical action movie— albeit with real lives at risk instead of fictional characters'.
All these emotional beats notwithstanding, the primary narrative engine of "Antidote" is investigative reporting. Grozev serves as the primary protagonist around whom the story revolves in his journey across Europe and North America piecing together the details of the poisoning plot. While he is systematic and driven, his approach is not particularly cinematic: a journalist who purchases information through online crypto transactions then dedicates countless hours poring over spreadsheets trying to decipher it. Nonetheless Jones and editor Rupert Houseman manage to inject drama and suspense into the storyline using fast edits that connect different parts of the story seamlessly, even though transitions are difficult due to various disjointed narrative threads.
All these emotional beats notwithstanding, the central thread of "Antidote" remains investigative reporting. Grozev is the main character, with the action following him across Europe and North America as he tries to unravel the poisoning plot. Although he is systematic and resolute, his approach is not particularly cinematic: here is a journalist who purchases information on the internet using cryptocurrency then has to spend hours poring over spreadsheets trying to make sense out of it. Despite its many different narrative strands Jones and editor Rupert Houseman do succeed in creating drama and tension using quick cuts and smooth transitions between them.
All of these emotional beats notwithstanding, the core of “Antidote” remains the investigative reporting. Grozev is placed in the middle as a central figure and we see him journeying to various parts of Europe and North America trying to unravel the poisoning plot. While he is systematic and resolute, his approach does not make for good cinema — a journalist who purchases information over the internet with crypto then later sits for long hours entering data from those sheets trying to connect the dots. However, Jones and editor Rupert Houseman find ways to inject drama and tension into this narrative thriller through their use of quick cuts between different storylines that are seamlessly woven together with transitions.
Besides the interviews and the documentation of some events as they happened in real time, Jones injects animation and newscast footage into his production. He tails Grozev while he tries to juggle work with familial duties: all these make it an engaging watch with emotional weight. Even though “Antidote” might seem like a simple David vs Goliath tale, by choosing to focus on the painstaking effort of revealing the truth, the filmmakers end up creating a spirited two-hour long plea for action.
Other than the interviews and live coverage of some of these events, Jones spices up his presentation with animation as well as newscast footage. We see Grozev's struggle to balance work and family which adds a personal touch to the story — making it an interesting watch with emotional weight. Even though “Antidote” may seem like a simple underdog tale, focusing on the painstaking effort involved in revealing the truth turns it into a spirited rallying cry.
Besides the interviews and the real-time documentation of some events, Jones introduces animation and newscast footage as Grozev tries to balance work with family. These all come together to create a show that is both entertaining and emotionally weighty. Although “Antidote” may seem like a simple David versus Goliath tale, by focusing on the painstaking effort behind revealing the truth, the filmmakers avoid making it just another inspiring movie about overcoming odds.