IMDb 7.3 2018 HD

Leto

Leto

2018
Drama Music
126 min NR RU
7.41 / 10
7.3 IMDB

Leningrad, one summer in the early eighties. Smuggling LPs by Lou Reed and David Bowie, the underground rock scene is boiling ahead of the Perestroika. Mike and his…

Personnel // Cast & Crew

Director Nadezhda Ilyukevich / Kirill Serebrennikov
Starring
Teo Yoo / Roman Bilyk / Irina Starshenbaum / Philipp Avdeev / Aleksandr Gorchilin / Yuliya Aug / Nikita Efremov / Georgiy Kudrenko

How Viewers Describe This Film

Common themes and sentiments

vibrant rebellious energetic passionate atmospheric raw stylish historical evocative compelling nostalgic artistic

Reviews

C
Chloe Davis
Apr 10, 2026
4.0 / 5
4.0

A magnetic and stylish exploration of a cultural revolution brewing in Leningrad, 'Leto' is an absolute triumph. The film immerses you in the clandestine world of underground rock, where smuggled LPs by Bowie and Reed ignite a generation.…

D
David Kim
Apr 10, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

'Leto' attempts to capture the revolutionary spirit of Soviet rock in the early eighties, and for the most part, it succeeds in creating an evocative atmosphere. The performances are earnest, particularly from Irina Starshenbaum, who imbues Natasha with…

S
Sophia Chen
Apr 10, 2026
4.5 / 5
4.5

This is a film that truly sings. 'Leto' is a passionate ode to the power of music and the indomitable spirit of youth. The director masterfully captures the clandestine thrill of smuggling Western records and forming a rock…

M
Marcus Thorne
Apr 10, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

'Leto' offers a fascinating glimpse into a Soviet subculture often overlooked. The film’s black and white aesthetic lends a stark, yet stylish, beauty to the story of young musicians navigating a restrictive era. Roman Bilyk and Philipp Avdeev…

E
Eleanor Vance
Apr 10, 2026
4.0 / 5
4.0

Director Unknown crafts a visually arresting and sonically vibrant portrait of Leningrad's nascent rock scene in 'Leto'. The film pulsates with the energy of forbidden Western music and the yearning for artistic freedom. Performances, particularly from Teo Yoo…

FAQs

The film 'Leto' is set in the crucial period just before the implementation of Perestroika, Mikhail Gorbachev's reformist policies. This era represented a loosening of state control and a gradual opening up of Soviet society. The underground rock scene, depicted in the film, was a manifestation of this underlying desire for greater freedom and expression. The music and the artists' struggles were a precursor to the wider societal shifts that Perestroika would soon unleash, making 'Leto' a snapshot of a culture on the cusp of monumental change.