Grom: Boyhood (2022) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Igor stole a bullet from his father's service pistol because he desperately needed money to go to Disneyland. The ten-year-old came up with a reckless plan to shoot a heated bullet into a jar of pickles to earn quick cash, but the scheme backfired when the bullet shattered a bandit's window, costing him money instead of earning any.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Konstantin refuses to give Igor money for Disneyland due to financial hardship, setting up Igor's desperation.

• igor grom
• bullet
• st petersburg
• disneyland
• money

Anubis is revealed to be Elena Khmurova, the city's police chief. She orchestrated the criminal operations and murders to facilitate police work and 'cleanse' the city, using a drug that created an illusion of 'dark magic' to manipulate others.

Foreshadowing: Khmurova warns Konstantin to drop the Anubis investigation, and later Igor spots the X handmark on one of her associates at the elite gathering.

• anubis
• elena khmurova
• police chief
• villain
• reveal

Konstantin dies during the confrontation at the elite gathering because he runs out of ammunition. Earlier, Igor had stolen a bullet from his father's pistol for his money-making scheme. When Konstantin tries to shoot Smirnov, his gun is empty, allowing Smirnov to fire first and wound Konstantin, who later dies from his injuries.

Foreshadowing: Igor's theft of the bullet is shown earlier in the day when he experiments behind the garages.

• konstantin grom
• death
• bullet
• smirnov
• ammo

The drug was used by Elena Khmurova to create an illusion of 'dark magic' surrounding Anubis. It dulled memory and judgment in the gangster interrogated by Konstantin, and was administered to victims to make the murders appear as supernatural occurrences rather than crimes.

Foreshadowing: The gangster's unusual behavior during interrogation hints at chemical manipulation.

• drug
• illusion
• anubis
• memory
• magic

The X-shaped handmark was made with a pink marker and indicated a return time of 10 PM. Igor had left this mark on a zealot of Anubis the previous day, which helped him recognize the criminal during the elite gathering and connect his father's police investigation to the conspiracy.

Foreshadowing: Igor marks the zealot with the pink marker in the scene where the boys attempt to gather information.

• x mark
• handmark
• zealot
• anubis
• recognition

Elena Khmurova became Anubis to 'cleanse' the city of crime through extrajudicial means. She believed she could accomplish what the legal system couldn't by orchestrating killings under the guise of dark magic, using her position as police chief to hide her criminal operations.

Foreshadowing: Her dialogue about urging Konstantin to focus on family rather than the investigation hints at her hidden agenda.

• elena khmurova
• motivation
• police chief
• anubis
• cleanse

In the post-credits scene, Dr. Veniamin Rubinstein conducts a therapy session with Sergei Razumovsky and successfully awakens his evil subpersonality. Razumovsky's eyes shift from blue to yellow as the subpersonality speaks of escape plans and threatens the therapist, suggesting a future psychological threat.

Foreshadowing: The scene mirrors the movie's themes of inner darkness and hidden identities.

• post-credits
• razumovsky
• rubinstein
• subpersonality
• evil

Igor blames himself because he stole the bullet from his father's gun, which caused Konstantin to be unarmed during the critical confrontation with Smirnov. When Konstantin tried to fire, the gun was empty, allowing Smirnov to shoot first. This guilt haunts Igor into adulthood.

Foreshadowing: The flashforward opening shows bloodied 12-year-old Igor returning home, establishing the traumatic outcome.

• igor
• guilt
• konstantin
• death
• blame
• bullet

The Disneyland tickets represent hope, reconciliation, and the possibility of healing. Konstantin had won them at Igor's school, symbolizing a chance for father-son bonding. In the present, adult Igor finds the tickets in his diary and invites his girlfriend Yuliya to go, signifying his choice to move forward and honor his father's memory.

Foreshadowing: The argument over Disneyland tickets in the earlier timeline sets up the emotional payoff in the present.

• disneyland
• tickets
• hope
• reconciliation
• memory

Grom: Boyhood is set about twenty years before Plague Doctor, serving as a prequel. The film establishes the origin of Igor's guilt and his complicated legacy as a police major. The post-credits scene with Razumovsky hints at the psychological elements that may carry forward to the sequel.

Foreshadowing: The opening narration mentions 'a decade and a half of perilous days' leading to the events of Plague Doctor.

• prequel
• plague doctor
• connection
• timeline
• sequel

Smirnov killed Elena Khmurova during the confrontation at the elite gathering. As a ruthless operative, he eliminated her to prevent her from being captured or revealing his own involvement in the criminal conspiracy. His pragmatic violence contrasts with Konstantin's moral approach.

Foreshadowing: Smirnov's introduction shows him as a dual-wielding, charismatic but dangerous figure.

• smirnov
• khmurova
• kill
• murder
• elite gathering

Konstantin threatened Fyodor with his own gun because he was consumed by the investigation into Anubis and frustrated by the gangster's silence. This moment shows Konstantin's brutal fine line between legitimate police work and intimidation, demonstrating how the case was affecting his judgment and relationships.

Foreshadowing: The scene establishes Konstantin's moral compromise and sets up the tension between his duty and family.

• konstantin
• fyodor
• threat
• interrogation
• anubis