Natasha is a middle-aged woman who is often ridiculed by her colleagues for her unattractive looks and low self-esteem. One day she discovers a long tail growing out of her backside. Even the hospital is mystified by the tail and can only helplessly take x-rays—much to the delight of the radiographer, Petya, who is gradually falling in love with Natasha. The tail thus becomes not a burden but a source of power that has the potential to transform Natasha’s life. The oddness of Ivan I. Tverdovsky’s second feature Zoology does not only derive from its cartoon-like setting. At first, the film’s message seems to affirm how a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence can quite easily have a profoundly altering effect on one’s life. Or perhaps the film endorses a politically correct attitude toward social prejudice against outward appearances. Yet before it turns socially critical or even into a fantasy romance, it pulls back. It doesn’t make a defining statement, and, at times, it contains moments of extreme cruelty. This ambiguity paradoxically makes Zoology a fascinating film of contravention. Just like her tail, too big to be cute, too attractive to be disgusting. (Jin PARK)