Not only does Balabanov portray African American men as brutish, violent, foul-mouthed, and aggressive, but the film centers the story of the Russian Danila penetrating the seedy underbelly of Chicago to save Dasha (both physically and spiritually) from the clutches of her Black pimp who sells her body for profit.

Although there is some confusion about whether the ending was changed or the news program started early, the juxtaposition of the George Floyd protests in America with the film's treatment of black men and the Black community is evident.

Both in America and Russia, the focus on looting and property destruction is a convenient way to undermine the exasperation of thousands of people whose skin color marks them as dangerous or violent, and thus a target for police violence.

The violent Black pimp, the Black angry homeless man, the crooked Black gangster who sells Danila guns — all come from the worst stereotypes about Black people.

As the Black Lives Matter protests force America to deal with its centuries-long problems of racism and state violence towards people of color, Russia must also deal with its racist treatment of Central Asian, East Asian, and African residents and citizens.