Newcomer

Fifteen years old Nikita Dzhukov (The Bug)- handsome and clever - he is a leader of the class. There is a newcomer in the class - Senya Ivanov. He's got oncology, but only the principal knows about it. Both Nikita and Senya like Lisa, a girl from their class. The Bug trip on Senya, showing his supremacy. Senya stops appearing in school. He is in hospital, doing chemical therapy. The Bug finds it out. Time passes and Senya comes back to school. He is bold because of the therapy, and he worries about how the classmates will receive him - wan, thin, and, most of all, bold. Senya comes to school, he's wearing a cap. The classmates with The Bug in charge meets him in front of the school. They all are wearing caps. They are standing in front of Senya. Senya is frightened. But the Bug and the rest put off their caps, they are all bold. They are smiling. Senya puts off his cap, smiling in response. They hug each other, laughing joyfully.

Directed by Alexander Kulyamin, Newcomer leans on a strong ensemble — Arkhipp Lebedev, Elena Ksenofontova, Yury Kuznetsov-Taezhny — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2022.