Discover the best of Ukrainian cinema, film, and television
Discover the definitive list of popular and critically-acclaimed movies and TV shows from Ukraine. Find your next binge-watch, streaming on Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Prime Video, and other top services!
The cinema of Ukraine
Ukrainian cinema boasts one of the most remarkable legacies in film history, beginning with the revolutionary work of Oleksandr Dovzhenko, whose avant-garde 'Ukrainian trilogy' – Zvenyhora (1928), Arsenal (1929) and Earth (1930) – is considered an apogee of both silent cinema and of Ukraine's cultural renaissance in the 1920s. These masterpieces combined Ukrainian folklore with visual poetry, establishing a distinctly Ukrainian cinematic voice that influenced filmmakers worldwide. The Soviet era brought both opportunities and constraints, yet Ukrainian filmmakers continued creating powerful works that subtly preserved national identity. International successes included films like "Battleship Potemkin" and "Man with a Movie Camera", which showcased Ukrainian talent on the global stage. Independence in 1991 opened new creative possibilities. The 1990s saw efforts to commercialise Ukrainian cinema, with notable directors like Radomyr Vasylevsky, Mykola Zasieiev-Rudenko, and the prolific Kira Muratova, who produced five films during this decade. The period embraced diverse genres from crime dramas to art house films, reflecting the nation's complex transition. Contemporary Ukrainian cinema has gained international recognition with bold, innovative storytelling. Films like "The Tribe," told entirely in sign language, and "Atlantis," exploring post-war trauma, demonstrate Ukraine's willingness to push cinematic boundaries. Recent productions such as "The Guide" have earned Academy Award consideration, whilst Netflix has begun featuring Ukrainian content, including wartime series like "Those Who Stayed." What makes Ukrainian cinema special is its resilience and ability to find universal themes within distinctly Ukrainian experiences, creating films that speak to both national identity and human condition.
Best Ukrainian series
Servant of the People 2015
Modest and humble teacher Vasily is caught on camera raging over the miserable situation in his country. When a pupil posts the video on Youtube, it becomes a viral sensation. Everybody loves Vasily’s outrage and people start gathering money for a presidential campaign. Which he wins! Servant of the People follows Vasily’s new life as president; he has no interest in changing his life, he wants to stay the same, live in his flat with his parents, borrow money from his friends at the end of the month and take his bike to work; it’s just that now his work is as the most powerful man in the country.
72The Sniffer 2013
An extraordinary sense of smell gives a crime investigator unique insight into solving mysteries, but his gift takes a toll on his personal life.
70To Catch the Kaidash 2020
Modern retelling of a classical Ukrainian family drama. Generations clash as the rural Kaidash family tries to make room for their sons, their sons' love interests and all the predicaments that ensue.
88Сваты 2008
Dear grandchild grew up and became a modern girl. In order to keep communication, grandmothers and grandfathers have no choice but to become modern themselves.
77Early Swallows 2019
Revolves around the lives of Ukrainian teenagers in a secondary school class. The teenagers struggle with bullying, including the Blue Whale Challenge, lack of parental support, suicidal behavior, LGBT identity crises-a subject that is rarely portrayed on Ukrainian television-alcoholic parents, and speech disabilities. In one of the show's main plot lines, the main characters are stalked on the Internet by an anonymous person who pretends to be their friend.
83Inseparable 2013
It's April of 1986. Pripyat, Ukraine. A core meltdown occurred at Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl Power Plant. Over thirty people died during the blast but the estimated death toll as a result of the radiation fallout will reach a four-digit number. This accident will be considered the world’s largest ecological disaster. Set at ground zero of a catastrophe, this film will reveal the details of the Chernobyl event. The shocking news of the explosion at the nuclear plant has spread, as the world watched the tragedy in fear and confusion. Hearts went out to those who displayed selfless courage and integrity in the initial efforts to stabilize the reactor power. But some were too busy being in love to notice what had just happened in nearby Chernobyl. The disaster has faded into the background... This is an account of love and loss, bravery and supernatural stoicism in the face of unbeatable odds.
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Best Ukrainian movies
Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom 2015
Over 93 days in Ukraine, what started as peaceful student demonstrations became a violent revolution and full-fledged civil rights movement.
82Mr. Jones 2019
In 1933, Welsh journalist Gareth Jones travels to Ukraine, where he experiences the horrors of a famine. Everywhere he goes he meets henchmen of the Soviet secret service who are determined to prevent news about the catastrophe from getting out. Stalin’s forced collectivisation of agriculture has resulted in misery and ruin—the policy is tantamount to mass murder.
70Sniper: The White Raven 2022
Mykola is an eccentric pacifist who wants to be useful to humanity. When the war begins at Donbass, Mykola’s naive world is collapsing as the militants kill his pregnant wife and burn his home to the ground. Recovered, he makes a cardinal decision and gets enlisted in a sniper company. Having met his wife’s killers, he emotionally breaks down and arranges “sniper terror” for the enemy. He’s saved from a senseless death by his instructor who himself gets mortally wounded. The death of a friend leaves a “scar” and Mykola is ready to sacrifice his life.
67Mavka: The Forest Song 2023
Mavka, a Soul of the Forest, faces an impossible choice between love and her duty as Guardian of the Heart of the Forest when she falls for a human, a talented young musician named Lukas.
69The Tribe 2014
Deaf-mute Sergey enters a specialized boarding school for the deaf-and-dumb. In navigating through the school's hierarchy, he encounters a corrupt underbelly of criminality, known as The Tribe. By participating in several robberies, he gets propelled higher into the organization, when he meets one of the Chief’s concubines Anya, and unwittingly breaks all the unwritten rules of the group.
68The Stolen Princess 2018
This wonderful story happened in the age of valiant knights, beautiful princesses, and battling sorcerers. Ruslan, a wandering artist dreaming to become a knight, met beautiful Mila and fell in love with her; he didn’t even suspect that she is the King’s daughter. However, the lovers’ happiness wasn’t meant to last too long. Chernomor, the evil sorcerer, appeared in a magic vortex and stole Mila right before Ruslan’s eyes to transform her power of love into his own magic power. Without further ado, Ruslan sets out on a chase after the stolen princess to overcome all obstacles and to prove that real love is stronger than magic.
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