Discover the best of Kazakhstani cinema, film, and television
Discover the definitive list of popular and critically-acclaimed movies and TV shows from Kazakhstan. Find your next binge-watch, streaming on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and other top services!
The cinema of Kazakhstan
Kazakh cinema is a world of sweeping horizons and epic history, a film culture born from the vast steppe and the nation’s nomadic soul. Its modern creative spirit was ignited in the late Soviet era with the 'Kazakh New Wave'. This rebellious movement's most iconic moment was the cult classic The Needle (Igla), a film whose effortlessly cool, punk-rock energy captured the spirit of a generation and announced a powerful new voice. This spirit of independence has since fuelled an age of ambitious filmmaking. Kazakhstan has become a home for the historical epic, with lavish productions like the Oscar-nominated Mongol and The Myn Bala: Warriors of the Steppe telling grand tales of warriors and khans. It has also produced stunningly original art-house gems like the dialogue-free Kelin, a film that speaks in a purely visual, ancient language. And in a brilliant display of modern confidence, this new cinema has proudly reclaimed the nation’s story on the world stage. With a wonderful sense of humour, the country has even playfully adopted catchphrases from a certain famous comedy film for its own tourism campaigns, proving its spirit is as resilient as it is creative. What makes Kazakh cinema so compelling is this incredible sense of scale. It’s a cinema that feels as vast as the land it comes from, confidently blending ancient legends with modern blockbuster filmmaking.
Best Kazakhstani series
5:32 2021
Shalkar, a former Major Crimes investigator, has long been retired and is trying to forget himself with alcohol. Shalkar's routine is disrupted by a police officer who asks for help with the investigation. A maniac has appeared in the city, whose M.O. is similar to the killer Shalkar caught in the 1990s.
80
A Dark Yard 2023
The series is based on a real story about teenagers of the 00s. 16-year-old boys from a criminal "dark yard", under an impression of popular gangster TV series, dream of becoming cool gangsters. To do this, the four friends decide to go on a "big" case, after which their life turns into unsuccessful attempts to escape from the consequences and bring everything back.
90
Sheker 2020
73
Сәке 2020
60
Serjan Bratan 2021
An established racketeer from Almaty wakes up from a 23-year-long coma.
50
Патруль 2015
35
Best Kazakhstani movies
The Eagle Huntress 2016
Follow Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter, and rise to the pinnacle of a tradition that has been typically been handed down from father to son for centuries.
78
The Legend of Tomiris 2019
This is the story of the life of the great queen of the steppe - legendary Tomiris. She is destined to become a skillful warrior, survive the loss of close people and unite the Scythian/Saka tribes under her authority.
72
Diamond Cartel 2015
A young woman, Aliya, catches the lustful eyes of several powerful men and is thrust against her will into a vast criminal ocean. As passion, violence, and turmoil swirl around her, she finds herself on the brink of death, and only her true love can rescue her.
53
Sweetie, You Won't Believe It 2020
Dastan can no longer stand the constant nagging of his highly pregnant wife and decides to run away for at least one day with his friends. The men go fishing, which would have gone smoothly, if not for a series of unforeseen events.
60
Racketeer 2007
Story of a man named Sayan, that had to live through harsh 1990s and make tough decisions.
76
The Old Man 2012
This is a survival story - a Hemingway's 'Old Man and the Sea' as if written for our days.
67