What Is Grom: Boyhood About?
The premise of Grom: Boyhood in 321 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In an alternate 1990s Saint Petersburg, the city pulses with the raw energy of a post‑Soviet era where neon‑lit streets clash with crumbling Soviet architecture. The atmosphere is both nostalgic and uneasy, a place where old power structures have faded and new, shadowy forces scramble for influence. Beneath the surface, the law struggles to keep pace with a rising tide of criminal ambition, creating a backdrop that feels both familiar and tinged with a restless, almost mythic tension.
Konstantin Grom, a seasoned police major, embodies the relentless dedication of a man who has made the protection of his city his singular purpose. His reputation for uncompromising tactics is matched only by the strain it places on his personal life, especially his relationship with his young son. The weight of his badge often leaves little room for anything else, and the streets he patrols seem to reflect the inner conflict between duty and the desire for familial connection.
Igor, ten‑years‑old and brimming with the restless curiosity of youth, watches his father’s absence with a mix of admiration and frustration. Eager to prove himself and to bring a slice of his own adventure into the world, he begins to explore ways to earn money on his own, inching ever closer to the city’s underbelly. His naive optimism contrasts sharply with the gritty reality surrounding him, hinting at the delicate line he treads between childhood innocence and the adult dangers that lurk just beyond his reach.
Against this backdrop, whispers of a rising crime lord known only as Anubis stir the city’s already uneasy balance. The pursuit of this enigmatic figure provides the central thread that ties together the gritty police work, the strained father‑son bond, and the alluring yet perilous temptations of the underworld. As Saint Petersburg navigates its own turbulent transformation, the story promises a tense, atmospheric journey where personal convictions are tested amid the looming shadows of the city’s darkest corners.
What Happens in Grom: Boyhood?
The complete story of Grom: Boyhood, from the first scene to the last, in 991 words (about 4 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 8 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
In an alternate 1990s version of St. Petersburg, set about twenty years before Major Grom: Plague Doctor, the story unfolds through a memory-rich lens that blends crime, loyalty, and the murky lines between justice and vengeance. A flashforward grips the viewer: the twelve-year-old Igor Grom, Kai Aleks Getts, staggers home bloodied, and the narration begins to recount a decade and a half of perilous days in a city where crime and power tango in the shadows.
The early chapters center on Igor’s father, Konstantin Grom, and their world of hard-edged police work. Konstantin, a seasoned detective, and his partner Fyodor Prokopenko interrogate the lone surviving gangster from a brutal ambush launched by Anubis, the film’s enigmatic villainous force. The suspect resists talking, and Konstantin’s brutal fine line between intimidation and coercion becomes clear, even drawing Fyodor into the moment with a rare show of restraint. The gangster’s silence is tied to a drug that dulls memory and judgment, suggesting a larger web of influence that stretches beyond a single crime.
When Konstantin brings the case to Elena Khmurova, the city’s police chief, the tension widens. Elena, a figure of formal authority, urges him to drop the Anubis investigation and instead devote his attention to his own fractured relationship with his son. The internal tension between duty and family becomes a recurring theme, underscoring how the city’s darkest rumors can carve gaps in even the strongest bonds. Elena’s stance sets the stage for a clash between institutional power and the hidden machinations of the criminal underworld.
Beyond the interrogation room, the story broadens to include Igor’s friendships and the pressures of growing up in a city where danger often arrives with the day’s news. Igor’s friend Ignat and the determined journalist Aleksey Prischurov—Aleksey Prischurov—guide the boys toward a stingier path to money: uncover dirt on the city’s elite, the powerful people rumored to be allied with Anubis. The operation pays off in a tense sequence during a midnight gathering where Konstantin and Smirnov infiltrate undercover, and Prischurov entrusts the kids with a video camera to document what unfolds. The moment Igor recognizes a Zealot of Anubis by a handmark becomes a chilling clue that binds his family to the conspiracy in ways he could never have imagined.
As the night erupts into gunfire, the stain of betrayal and the cost of ambition come into sharp relief. Konstantin fights to protect what he believes is right, but the war he is fighting is fought on a ground that cannot be won with bravado alone. Elena Khmurova reveals herself as the architect of many killings, a ruthless figure who orchestrates a deadly tableaux through a drug-fueled illusion that masks a harsher truth. The confrontation spirals into a brutal sequence in which Smirnov shoots Elena, and Konstantin, cornered and out of ammunition, makes a fateful move that ends with his own death and Igor’s sense of culpability sealing itself into his memory. The film foreshadows the weight of legacy and the consequences that ripple across a lifetime.
Years pass, and the story shifts to adulthood through Igor’s eyes. Now living with his girlfriend Yuliya Pchyolkina, Lyubov Aksyonova, the once-bright boy has become a man haunted by the past. A dream of his father offers a fragile moment of forgiveness and a gentle push toward moving on. The diary he keeps—tucked with tickets to Disneyland and a photograph of his father—reappears as a tangible link to a hopeful future, even as the memory of that fateful night continues to cast a long shadow over Igor’s choices. The invitation to Disneyland, a symbol of shared possibility, becomes a quiet beacon: perhaps some wounds heal with time, companionship, and the willingness to look forward.
The film further adds a layer of clinical distance through the closing scene, which returns to a different kind of confrontation. In a therapeutic setting, Dr. Veniamin Rubinstein, Konstantin Khabenskiy, attempts to coax a hidden subpersonality from Sergei Razumovskiy, a figure who emerges and speaks in a different color of consciousness. Razumovskiy’s eyes shift, the subpersonality growing more defined, and Rubinstein records the progress with clinical curiosity. As Razumovskiy asserts the subpersonality’s intent and readiness to act, the scene hints at a future of inner conflict that mirrors the external battles fought in Igor’s youth, a reminder that danger and trauma can reside inside as much as outside the body.
Filled with brisk period details, tense chases through a city rebuilding after chaos, and a central question about what a family owes to itself and to the people it protects, the film keeps a careful moral balance. It never shies away from the gravity of Konstantin’s decisions, the ethical costs of Prischurov’s methods, or the stubborn hope that the next generation might do better than the last. The characters’ arcs—Igor’s grappling with guilt and responsibility, Elena Khmurova’s unmasking, Smirnov’s ruthless pragmatism, and the older generation’s fallibility—cohere into a portrait of a city that survives by facing its own shadows with a mixture of courage, cunning, and, sometimes, tragedy.
In the end, the story remains anchored by human connections rather than pure investigative triumph. Igor’s relationship with Yuliya becomes the living proof that, even after violence and loss, there is room for tenderness and for choosing a different path. Disneyland tickets and a shared dream of a brighter day stand as a quiet counterpoint to the violence that opened Igor’s life, suggesting that forgiveness and forward movement are possible, even when the past refuses to stay buried. The film closes on a note of cautious hope, even as its final medical-session tableau implies that the struggle with inner darkness is far from over.
Note: For cast details, references to the following actors appear in the first mention of their related characters: Igor Grom Kai Aleks Getts, Yuliya Pchyolkina Lyubov Aksyonova, Konstantin Grom Sergey Marin, Elena Khmurova Irina Rozanova, Yuri Smirnov Daniil Vorobyov, Aleksey Prischurov Oleg Yagodin, Dr. Veniamin Rubinstein Konstantin Khabenskiy, Sergei Razumovskiy Sergey Goroshko.
Grom: Boyhood Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
14 key events in the order they happen, from “Opening flashforward: Igor's homecoming” to “Post-credits: Razumovsky's awakening”. 14 events name a place, across 13 locations.
- 1
Opening flashforward: Igor's homecoming
The film opens with a flashforward showing 12-year-old Igor Grom returning home bloodied, while a narration begins. It establishes the 1990s, alternate St. Petersburg, as a city of crime and upheaval. The image of Igor framed by the era foreshadows the personal costs of his father’s police work.
When:Flashforward, age 12 Where:Igor's home, St. Petersburg
- 2
Anubis launches a raid on a gang
Anubis conducts a bold assault on a St. Petersburg criminal gang to glean information about the operation. The raid signals the scale of Anubis' influence and the danger closing in on the city.
When:Early 1990s Where:St. Petersburg
- 3
Interrogation and intimidation
Konstantin Grom and his partner Fyodor Prokopenko interrogate the only surviving gangster. The gangster resists, and Konstantin uses intimidation, nearly killing him to extract information. Fyodor warns him, and Konstantin even threatens Fyodor with his own gun when Fyodor tries to reason. The gangster is revealed to be under the influence of a drug.
When:Same day Where:Interrogation room, police HQ
- 4
Police push to drop the case
Konstantin reports the interrogation results to Elena Khmurova, the chief of police. She urges him to drop the Anubis case and focus on his own son, whom he barely sees due to work. The conversation highlights the political pressure surrounding the investigation.
When:Same day Where:Police HQ, St. Petersburg
- 5
Colleagues outside: Smirnov joins the pool
Later, Konstantin joins his colleagues smoking outside the building. Yuri Smirnov is introduced as a charismatic operative who dual wields guns. The scene underscores the camaraderie and the simmering tension within the force.
When:Later that day Where:Outside police building
- 6
Igor’s apology and a family decision
Fyodor Prokopenko orders Igor to apologize for his prior behavior during the interrogation, giving him 30 seconds to comply. Konstantin is reluctant to force the gesture. Fyodor then reminds Konstantin of Igor's English Language School Olympiad, prompting the father to abruptly decide to go home.
When:Evening Where:Police building
- 7
Home tensions over Disneyland
At home, Konstantin tries to bridge the gap with Igor, who resents his father for missing important moments. Konstantin offers his son a shawarma and mentions the Disneyland tickets he won at school. Igor asks for money to go to Disneyland, but his father refuses due to financial hardship.
When:Evening Where:Igor's home
- 8
A reckless dare and a costly mistake
Desperate to earn money, Igor secretly steals a bullet from Konstantin’s service pistol and demonstrates a dare behind the garages. He plans to shoot a heated bullet into a jar of pickles without using the pistol. The plan backfires when the bullet shatters the window of a massive bandit in a crimson jacket, forcing Igor to part with his money.
When:Afternoon Where:Behind the garages
- 9
Digging dirt on the elite
Ignat suggests they help journalist Alexei Prischurov obtain dirt on St. Petersburg’s elite, allegedly connected to Anubis. Although hesitant at first, the boys agree to pursue the job. In the evening, they head to the Anubis-designated meeting place for the elite to gather material, with Konstantin and Smirnov going undercover and Prischurov supplying a video camera.
When:Evening Where:Anubis-designated meeting location, St. Petersburg
- 10
The X mark and the elite gathering
During the gathering, Igor recognizes one zealot of Anubis by a hand mark in the shape of an X, left the day before with a pink marker. The mark indicates a return time of 10 PM, heightening the stakes for the children and their parents. The tension escalates as the night unfolds.
When:Evening Where:Elite gathering venue
Show the other 4 events of Grom: Boyhood Hide the last 4 events
- 11
The true identity revealed and the shootout
A high-stakes confrontation reveals that Anubis is Elena Khmurova. She confesses the murders were to facilitate police work and to 'cleanse' the city, with the 'dark magic' being an illusion caused by a drug. Smirnov kills Khmurova, and Konstantin tries to shoot Smirnov but is out of cartridges because Igor had taken one earlier; Smirnov shoots first, and Konstantin fights back with his strength, ultimately dying from his wounds. Igor witnesses the death and blames himself for not stopping it.
When:Evening Where:Elite venue
- 12
Present-day Igor and a father’s forgiveness
In the present, adult Igor lives with his girlfriend Yulia. He dreams of speaking with his father and asking for forgiveness for the stolen bullet. Konstantin appears in the dream and advises his son to let go of the past and move on.
When:Present day night (dream sequence) Where:Igor's apartment
- 13
Diary reveal and Disneyland plan renewed
Upon waking, Igor reads his old diary, finding a ticket to Disneyland and a photo of his father attached to it. In a trembling voice, he suggests to Yulia that they go to Disneyland together, signaling a desire to hold onto hope and memory.
When:Present day Where:Igor's apartment
- 14
Post-credits: Razumovsky's awakening
In the post-credits scene, Dr. Veniamin Rubinstein conducts a therapy session with Sergei Razumovsky and manages to awaken Razumovsky's evil subpersonality. Razumovsky’s eyes shift from blue to yellow as the subpersonality speaks of escape plans and threatens the therapist, while Rubinstein quietly takes notes for future study.
When:Post-credits Where:Therapist’s office
Who Are the Main Characters in Grom: Boyhood?
8 characters, among them Igor Grom (Kai Aleks Getts), Elena Khmurova (Elena Khmurova) and Aleksey Prischurov (Aleksey Prischurov): who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- IG
Igor Grom (Kai Aleks Getts)
Played by Kai Aleks Getts
Adult Igor is a driven, guilt-haunted figure shaped by a violent past and a yearning for closure. He straddles the line between a reluctant hero and someone still learning the costs of justice in a crime-ridden 1990s St. Petersburg.
- 🕵️♂️ Detective
- 💔 Guilt
- 🧭 Resolve
- EK
Elena Khmurova (Elena Khmurova)
Played by Irina Rozanova
Chief of police in St. Petersburg who leads the Anubis operation. Behind a veneer of control she orchestrates murders to ‘cleanse’ the city, using illusion and manipulation to maintain power.
- 👮♀️ Police
- 🗝️ Deception
- 🧪 Drug influence
- AP
Aleksey Prischurov (Aleksey Prischurov)
Played by Oleg Yagodin
Investigative journalist who recruits kids to dig up dirt on elites tied to Anubis. He embodies the city’s merciless press culture and the dangerous chase for scandal.
- 📰 Journalism
- 🕵️♂️ Investigation
- 🕳️ Danger
-
Yuliya Pchyolkina (Yuliya Pchyolkina)
Played by Lyubov Aksyonova
Igor's girlfriend who provides emotional support and a connection to a future normal life. She anchors the human side of Igor amid a turbulent, dangerous world.
- ❤️ Relationship
- 🕊️ Hope
- YS
Yuriy Smirnov (Yuriy Smirnov)
Played by Daniil Vorobyov
Charismatic colleague who dual-wields guns and navigates the gray areas of policing and crime. His presence heightens tension and tests loyalty.
- 🔫 Cop
- 🗣️ Charisma
- SR
Sergei Razumovskiy (Sergei Razumovskiy)
Played by Sergey Goroshko
Patient with a dangerous subpersonality who reveals the darker side of the city’s underworld. The therapist notes his transformed gaze, foreshadowing a looming threat.
- 🧠 Psychology
- 👁️ Duality
- BK
Big Kingpin (Big Kingpin)
Played by Stas Baretsky
A powerful crime figure connected to the Anubis faction. His leadership underpins the criminal web the protagonists chase and collide with.
- 🏰 Crime Boss
- 💼 Power
- M(
Mouthpiece (Mouthpiece)
Played by Anton Adasinsky
Loyal enforcer who figures in the early confrontation with the criminal gang; a shadow actor behind the violence surrounding the case.
- 🗡️ Enforcer
- 🗣️ Intimidation
Where and When Is Grom: Boyhood Set?
Grom: Boyhood is set in St. Petersburg (1990s). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
1990s
The events unfold in the 1990s, a volatile period of Russia's transition after the Soviet era. Economic upheaval and rising crime color the city and its inhabitants, shaping choices and loyalties. The narrative uses period details like newsreels and flashforwards to anchor the era while following Igor's coming-of-age amid the chaos.
Where
St. Petersburg
Set in an alternate version of St. Petersburg during the 1990s, the city forms a backdrop of crime and post-Soviet upheaval. The film blends familiar city landmarks with a shadowy underworld and a police force under pressure. The setting emphasizes a tense mood of transition and danger that drives the story.
- 🏙️ St. Petersburg
- 🕰️ 1990s
What Are the Themes of Grom: Boyhood?
4 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Guilt & Legacy, Illusion vs. Reality and Duty & Sacrifice.
-
01
Guilt & Legacy
Igor bears the weight of his father’s death and the choices that shaped their lives. The film examines how guilt can steer a person toward reckoning or redemption. Legacy threads through family, crime, and the price of seeking justice in a corrupted system.
-
02
Illusion vs. Reality
Anubis employs drugs to create illusions that blur truth and motive. Characters confront what is real and what is manufactured by fear, power, and storytelling. The twists reveal that much of what seems supernatural is a carefully constructed ruse.
-
03
Duty & Sacrifice
Konstantin’s unwavering sense of duty clashes with his family life, highlighting the toll of balancing protection with connection. Igor’s path tests loyalty to his father and the ideal of justice. The narrative asks what individuals owe to those they love when systems fail them.
-
04
Power, Corruption & Justice
The story pits law enforcement against criminal networks, exposing how power can corrupt and complicate justice. Characters navigate dirty tactics, violence, and the lure of easy money. The ending questions whether true justice can exist in a city ruled by fear.
What Kind of Film Is Grom: Boyhood?
Tense in tone, with steady pacing and a complex story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Tense
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Complex
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Bittersweet
A tense and gritty crime saga set in a decaying city, blending high-stakes police work with a poignant coming-of-age story about a boy haunted by his father's legacy.
- tense
- memory-rich
- haunted
- gritty
- suspenseful
- melancholic
- crime investigation
- father-son relationship
- coming of age
- betrayal
Content notes: graphic violence, child endangerment, parental death, psychological trauma.
Quiz
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