Overview
A passionate love story unfolds amidst the vibrant backdrop of 1980s Russia, where music becomes the heartbeat of desire.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- wistful
- romantic
- music discovery night
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's vivid recreation of Soviet underground music culture, melancholy romantic atmosphere, and performances, while finding its historical dramatization somewhat derivative or incomplete.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film dramatizes the early career and personal world of Viktor Tsoi within the Soviet rock scene.
Mayk, Viktor, and their peers pursue rock music amid Soviet restrictions and aspirations toward Western music.
The story is rooted in 1980s Leningrad's rock clubs, summer gatherings, and shifting cultural atmosphere during perestroika.
Viktor's bond with mentor Mayk is intertwined with Mayk's marriage to Natalya and the film's central emotional tension.
Films like Leto, and why
Control
music biopic drama with anti-establishment themes, charismatic performers, and a melancholic rock-culture atmosphere
The Doors
rock music drama centered on youthful artistic ambition, romantic entanglements, and period counterculture
Almost Famous
music-centered coming-of-age drama with romantic idealism, nostalgia, and a vivid period scene
24 Hour Party People
stylized musician biopic blending romance, performance, and cultural memory with a wistful tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Kirill Serebrennikov
- Release Date
- 2018-06-07
- Runtime
- 126 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (352)
Cast
- Teo Yoo
- Roman Bilyk
- Irina Starshenbaum
- Philipp Avdeev
- Aleksandr Gorchilin
- Yuliya Aug
- Nikita Efremov
- Georgiy Kudrenko
- Aleksandra Revenko
- Nikita Elenev
Common questions
- What is Leto about?
- A wistful Soviet rock drama where artistic mentorship, marriage, and youthful rebellion collide in the charged summer of Leningrad.
- What is Leto like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Leto as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Leto violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Leto.
- What did critics think of Leto?
- Critics broadly praised the film's vivid recreation of Soviet underground music culture, melancholy romantic atmosphere, and performances, while finding its historical dramatization somewhat derivative or incomplete.
- Which films are like Leto?
- Films with a similar feel include Control, The Doors, Almost Famous, and 24 Hour Party People.
- How long is Leto?
- Leto runs 126 minutes.
