The Student

Veniamin, a restless high school student, grows convinced that evil has corrupted the world and decides that ordinary rules no longer apply. He begins to test the loyalties and convictions of the adults around him, from his own mother to his teachers, pressing conversations toward moral certainty and unsettling conclusions. The film follows his relentless shift as classroom debates slide into moral probes and routines of school life collide with fierce ideas. The film favors close, intimate frames throughout and a solemn, restrained aesthetic, and The Student examines power, fear, and the seduction of absolute authority without resorting to easy answers. Petr Skvortsov anchors the drama as the wary, searching presence of Veniamin, supported by Yuliya Aug and Viktoriya Isakova.

Directed by Kirill Serebrennikov, The Student is an adaptation of Marius von Mayenburg's The Student. Released in 2016, the Russian drama uses an intimate approach to unpack youth and ideology, with intensity translated to screen with composition and sound design.

The film earned praise for its restrained tone, sharp performances, and its unflinching look at how certainty can morph into power. It centers on adolescence, authority, and the clash between a young man's absolutist beliefs and the adults who try to guide him. The performances breathe life into tense formalism.

The film prompts discussions about youth radicalization and the pressures of modern schooling. Its spare style invites scrutiny of how classrooms, families, and communities respond to a young person who questions the moral order, leaving audiences with uneasy questions. Its approach influenced a few younger filmmakers and sparked ongoing conversations.

Box office details for The Student are not widely reported in readily available data, and the film is best known for its festival circuit and critical reception rather than blockbuster earnings in select markets worldwide beyond Russia in limited release.