The film tells the story of a young man who becomes fervently religious, and his behaviour gradually begins to affect his environment and the entire school, which ultimately leads to a disaster.

The Student by Kirill Serebrennikov is based on The Martyr, a play by Marius von Mayerburg. Serebrennikov premiered the play at the Gogol Center in Moscow and its considerable popularity inspired the director to work on the film adaptation of the work of the German playwright.

The film’s world premiere took place at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016, where the picture won the François Chalais Award.