The plot follows a wealthy businessman's son who is made to believe he has traveled back to the time of serfdom in Russia, in order to reform his uncouth behaviour.

TV producer Anastasia, Pavel's friend with benefits, invites him to contact Lev Arnoldovich, an eccentric psychologist whose unusual methods of rehabilitation may seem cruel and shocking, but almost always give a guaranteed result.

Trying to reason logically, Grisha at first vehemently denies the possibility of falling into the past, but then gradually comes to terms with his new life as a serf.

The psychologist proposes to change the scenario and make Liza (who had only been working as a horse trainer for the project) the object of Grisha's love.

Along the way, Grisha gradually changes his views on life and himself, watching his own sins manifest themselves in the "son of the lord, Alexei", played by Liza's real-life boyfriend Anton.

Aglaya's actress, Polina, offended by the loss of her "leading role", convinces Anton that Liza plans to begin an affair with Grisha.

Grisha is not bothered by such inaccuracy, but when the time of the decisive action comes - not to allow the "Mongols" to kidnap Liza away for the amusement of the "Khan", he gives up and runs to his stable.

Principal photography began in August 2018, in Moscow and the urban-type settlement of Pushkinskiye Gory, Pushkinogorsky District, Pskov Oblast, Russia.

The premiere took place in the famous British cinema Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, in the main hall, which seats 800 spectators.

Valley, Serf is a modern Russian hybrid of The Truman Show and the film Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession.

The critic notes the director's ability to «balance on the razor’s edge, but not cross the line», as well as the fact that «Klim Shipenko tries not to rely on empty buffoonery, so even simple-minded jokes have a very deep context».

But, according to the critic, the plot is most similar to the mini-series Back to the USSR, only Serf «does not consist of four episodes, although the characters reveal the same pattern and come to the same finale».

[15] Vera Alyonushkina, a critic of the movie section on the Russian version of Time Out, gave a negative assessment to the film.

According to Alyonushkina, the film could have been recorded in the category of forgettable comedies that were good for killing time, if not for one «but»: the reviewer was perturbed by the idea of violence as a correcting method for poor behavior like Grisha's.

Russian-Turkish remake Simarik, directed by Onur Ünlü and starring Kerem Bursin and Melisa Döngel, was released in 2025.