---
title: "Leviathan"
year: 2014
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/leviathan-2014"
fi1m_score: 85
critics_score: 83
critics_reviews: 21
published: "2026-09-17T08:08:09.875658+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-17T08:08:10.176248+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Leviathan (2014)

Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev · 2h 21m · MPA R · Drama, Crime

**Fi1m score: 85** · Critics 83 from 21 reviews

*In a sentence:* Nobody needs this much vodka, but we can understand the reasoning

> Andrey Zvyagintsev’s bitter drama about corruption in northern Russia is beautifully acted and unexpectedly funny. The religious symbolism grows heavy, but the people remain worth caring about, even when they are difficult company.

## Synopsis

On the coast of contemporary northern Russia, working man Nikolay Sergeev (Aleksei Serebryakov) tries to resist corrupt local officials. His dispute with Vadim Shelevyat (Roman Madyanov) also involves Liliya Sergeeva (Elena Lyadova) and Dmitriy Seleznyov (Vladimir Vdovichenkov). Nikolay wants to be left in control of his life, but government, courts and Church dominate the community around him. Family tensions and heavy drinking complicate his resistance. The institutions that ought to protect an ordinary citizen offer little prospect of help when his opponents belong to the establishment.

## Review

Andrey Zvyagintsev’s *Leviathan* is a fierce, unexpectedly funny drama about a working man taking on corrupt local power in northern Russia. We recommend it, with a warning that its religious symbolism eventually presses harder than it needs to. He and co-writer Oleg Negin make that struggle spread through family life and the wider community, where ordinary failings leave people exposed to officials with far greater ones. There is time for those people to be awkward, selfish and ridiculous before we are asked to pity them.

Aleksei Serebryakov gives Nikolay Sergeev an anger that can be tiring to sit with, which is part of the performance’s force. He is convincing as a man whose resistance does not necessarily make him good company, and the film gains from declining to tidy him into a model victim. Elena Lyadova’s Liliya Sergeeva helps keep the family scenes from becoming a lesson delivered on Nikolay’s behalf. Both performances make the domestic unhappiness matter independently of what it tells us about Russia.

Roman Madyanov, playing Vadim Shelevyat, understands how much comedy there can be in a bully who expects to be taken seriously. We laughed at his self-importance, then felt uneasy about having laughed. His blustering remains ridiculous even as we understand how much power he has over the people facing him. His performance supplies some welcome variation in a film that could otherwise become exhausting well before its 141 minutes are up.

Mikhail Krichman photographs the desolate northern coast in wide compositions and gives us time to look. Those long views interrupt the close attention to human spite without making the situation feel any less oppressive. We can enjoy the landscape while remaining uncomfortable about the lives being lived there. Andrey Ponkratov’s production design makes the everyday settings feel inhabited, helping the actors keep this account of corruption recognisably ordinary.

Anna Mass’s editing leaves some narrative gaps and finds room for minor characters, trusting us to keep pace as the film moves beyond Nikolay. Those choices help the community feel larger than a collection of witnesses to one man’s trouble. The music, credited to Philip Glass and Andrey Dergachyov, gives the expansive images a solemn weight. It is effective, though we sometimes wanted less insistence on how gravely we should take what we were watching.

The difficulty comes when the religious comparisons demand more attention than the people. The echoes of the *Book of Job* are plain enough, and the second half gives them a prominence that makes an already remorseless story feel over-explained. Political dramas can flatten people into examples, and the director mostly avoids that through the unruly performances and sour comedy. Yet the Church, government and judiciary are set so firmly against the individual that the story can feel decided in advance.

Give it an evening when the interruptions can wait. Expect some laughter, too; approaching it as nothing but a solemn lecture would do the actors a disservice. We would avoid scheduling an appointment with local government for the following morning.

*Fi1m score 85, published 17 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond strongly to Leviathan’s bleak account of corruption and ordinary lives constrained by state and Church. Praise clusters around the landscape photography, which gives the local struggle a larger scale, and performances that keep the suffering credible rather than merely illustrative. The reviews also repeatedly find bitter comedy in the bureaucracy and abuse of power, making the film less uniformly sombre than its subject suggests.

The spread runs from emphatic praise to qualified approval, with only one mixed assessment and none negative. Reservations concern the film’s expansiveness, relentless misery and the weight of its religious themes. Time Out finds some targets obvious and the treatment self-important, while Vulture argues that the spiritual subtext overtakes the narrative in the second half. The Financial Times supplies the mixed assessment, describing an overpoweringly remorseless tale while still recognising the force of its political portrait and imagery.

### Reviews we read (21)

- **Empire**, Phil de Semlyen (90/100, inferred): Zvyagintsev’s modern parable of a working man crushed by the Russian state is spellbinding. Long takes capture the solemn beauty of the landscape, while the protagonist’s slow crumpling at the hands of church, government and judiciary leaves a longer, angrier impression; frustrating, funny at points, heartbreaking and magnificently shot, it is one of the films of the year. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/leviathan-3-review/)
- **Film Comment**, Jonathan Romney (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Zvyagintsev's intelligent, brilliantly acted film for plunging into the bleakness of contemporary Russia, depicting corruption and petty tyranny. The landscape photography is singled out for bringing a metaphysical dimension to the drama. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/film-of-the-week-leviathan-zvyagintsev-russia/)
- **Sight and Sound**, Ryan Gilbey (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's masterly power in depicting crushing local tyranny through a worm's-eye view of governmental corruption and calumny. They single out the forensic skill in unpicking intersecting layers of corruption along with the visual and aural expression of themes via dusky cinematography and Philip Glass's music. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/leviathan-review-andrey-zvyagintsev-gives-us-worms-eye-view-russian-monsters)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Zvyagintsev’s subversive portrait of power abuse and corruption in modern Russia as visceral and rebellious, transposing the story of Job to a contemporary setting with an eye for intimate family details intertwined with political themes. He highlights the bleakly comic elements and hopes for its Oscar success. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/nov/09/leviathan-review-andrey-zvyagintsev-epic-everyday)
- **Variety**, Peter Debruge (90/100, inferred): The critic hails the film as a stunning, surprisingly funny satire that questions whether modern Russia serves its citizens, praising its accessible naturalism and the way it tests the social contract through everyday characters. He singles out the darkly satirical streak and the director’s skill at covering dense narrative ground while leaving key moments open to interpretation. [Read](https://variety.com/2014/film/festivals/cannes-film-review-leviathan-1201189022/)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (85/100, inferred): The critic portrays “Leviathan” as a tale of grandeur, limitless suffering, and wrath focused on ordinary citizens crushed by power, praising its spaciousness in following minor characters and its calm survey of a fallen world. He singles out the moral permafrost and the director’s poised compositions that keep the film from writhing out of control despite its venom. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/01/05/good-fights-4)
- **The AV Club**, Mike D'Angelo (B+): The critic calls it a loose and lively black comedy about bureaucracy and local corruption that is less dour than the director's prior work, appreciating the ambiguity, withheld information, and moments of humor amid the cynicism. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/fighting-city-hall-has-dire-consequences-in-the-russian-1798182284)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (80/100, inferred): The critic calls the film bleak and relentless yet impeccably made, a serious indictment of Russia’s soul and the powerlessness of the individual against unchecked authority. He singles out the top-flight actors who bring the despondent protagonists convincingly to life, preventing the deterministic story from becoming too hard to watch. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-leviathan-review-20141231-column.html)
- **Slant Magazine**, Chuck Bowen (80/100, inferred): The critic calls it the most ironically beautiful film of the year, a bleak political chamber drama that affirms deep pain as a sign of an engaged soul. It singles out the richly composed landscapes and the contrast between grand nature and small human drama for praise. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/leviathan-2014/)
- **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (4/5): The critic calls it a whale of a movie that is grotesque and a little bloated but impossible to ignore, with its power and horrors sneaking up on the viewer. They single out its sweeping, curious and bold telling in widescreen with a sense of the epic applied to everyday lives, while noting some obvious targets and self-importance. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/leviathan-2)
- **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film magnificent yet exasperating, a heavy but transporting drama about a modern-day Job battling corrupt authorities in northern Russia. She singles out the director’s heavenly eye for stirring shots of the natural world alongside deep dives into a human realm flooded with tears and vodka. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/25/movies/leviathan-turns-on-a-modern-day-job.html)
- **Evening Standard**, David Sexton (70/100, inferred): Andrey Zvyagintsev's dark Russian-set film is a serious new contender for the Palme d'Or. It powerfully arraigns the abuse of state power in a tragic story of a man losing everything to corrupt officials, while also offering scathing humour and visual grandeur from its bleak northern landscape. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/leviathan-cannes-film-festival-film-review-9425339.html)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Leslie Felperin (70/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as a multicharacter drama and modern reworking of the Book of Job that doubles as a thinly veiled political parable and black social comedy indicting Putin-era corruption. It praises the craft, allusive power, and bitter irony while noting its expansive nature. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/leviathan-cannes-review-706722/)
- **Vulture** (70/100, inferred): The critic praises the mesmerizing, melancholy aestheticized tragedy of the individual versus the corrupt state, with its desolate beauty and strong storytelling in the first half. It notes that the spiritual subtext overtakes the narrative in the second half. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2014/12/review-leviathan.html)
- **Financial Times**, Nigel Andrews (3/5): The critic calls the film a savagely powerful portrait of Putin’s Russia, an overpoweringly remorseless tale of perfidy, betrayal and lives crushed by authority on a desolate coast. He notes its metaphysical disquiet, vivid imagery like the whale skeleton, and vodka-soaked despair. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/e27bcc8e-65aa-11e4-a454-00144feabdc0)
- **HeyUGuys**, Jo-Ann Titmarsh (5/5): The critic calls it a powerful vodka-drenched Russian tragedy of one man pitched against a corrupt state. They single out the superb cast, especially the mayor, and the director's withering portrayal of the Church and government. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/cannes-2014-leviathan-review/)
- **The Skinny**, Philip Concannon (5/5): The critic describes the film as hunting big game, presenting modern Russia as rotten to the core through one man's fight against a corrupt establishment. The direction and screenplay are praised for creating arresting images and an unsettling mood. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/leviathan-film_review)
- **Consequence** (A): Leviathan is an exacting and bleak experience about the selfishness of power and how people make terrible choices when confronted with chaos. It is a commanding work in its unrelenting bleakness, offering a startling and at times moving observation of modern society. [Read](https://consequence.net/2015/01/film-review-leviathan/)
- **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (A): The critic deems it absolutely fantastic and a grand, masterful work. They single out its rich lyricism, poetry, and searing political critique of contemporary Russia alongside its novelistic complexity. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/cannes-review-andrei-zvyagintsevs-searing-powerful-russian-epic-leviathan-20140523/)
- **Paste**, Tom Meek (8.2): The film renders an affecting and timeless portrait of corruption and suffering in a remote Russian province, free of geographic or theological boundaries. The widescreen cinematography and the lead performance underscore its purpose with poetry and purpose. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/in-the-bible-job-suffers)
- **Eye for Film**, Angus Wolfe Murray (85/100, inferred): The critic describes a community dominated by an undemocratic system where only the church and vodka offer hope. They single out the powerful, unforgettable performances that rage against corruption and despair. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/leviathan-2014-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

## Details

- **Director:** Andrey Zvyagintsev
- **Director:** Andrey Zvyagintsev
- **Writer:** Oleg Negin, Andrey Zvyagintsev
- **Cinematography:** Mikhail Krichman
- **Editor:** Anna Mass
- **Music:** Philip Glass, Andrey Dergachyov
- **Production design:** Andrey Ponkratov
- **Costume design:** Anna Bartuli
- **Producer:** Alexander Rodnyansky, Sergey Melkumov
- **Cast:** Aleksei Serebryakov as Nikolay Sergeev; Elena Lyadova as Liliya Sergeeva; Vladimir Vdovichenkov as Dmitriy Seleznyov; Roman Madyanov as Vadim Shelevyat; Anna Ukolova as Anzhela Polivanova; Aleksey Rozin as Pasha; Sergey Pokhodaev as Roma; Platon Kamenev as Vitya
- **Runtime:** 2h 21m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 25 December 2014
- **Genres:** Drama, Crime
- **Budget:** $4 million
- **Box office:** $4 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oo7H25kirk

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: rent $2.99, sd
- Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $4.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy $12.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-17.*

Also available in: AU, BR, CA, DK, FI, FR, GB, IE, IT, MX, NO, NZ, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 2015: Best International Feature Film (nominated)
- European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film 2015: European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film (nominated)
- International Submission to the Academy Awards 2015: International Submission to the Academy Awards (nominated)
- Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Feature Film 2014: Asia Pacific Screen Award for Best Feature Film (won)
- European Film Award for Best Actor 2014: European Film Award for Best Actor (nominated)
- European Film Award for Best Director 2014: European Film Award for Best Director (nominated)
- European Film Award for Best Film 2014: European Film Award for Best Film (nominated)
- European Film Award for Best Screenwriter 2014: European Film Award for Best Screenwriter (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *A Separation* (2011), Fi1m 93: A family dispute grows into a legal struggle where nobody stays blameless. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-separation.md)
- *Z* (1969): Official intimidation meets stubborn investigation, with more momentum and scarcely less anger.
- *The Death of Mr. Lazarescu* (2005): Institutional indifference becomes painfully personal, with dry humour and no easy reassurance.
- *The Trial* (1962): Bureaucracy acquires nightmare proportions, though the officials remain depressingly familiar.
- *Bacurau* (2019): A threatened community fights back in a far less resigned political fable.

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/leviathan-2014