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

  • Poster for Servant of the People

    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.

    1+1
    71
  • Poster for The Sniffer

    The 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.

    Channel One
    70
  • Poster for To Catch the Kaidash

    To 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.

    STB
    87
  • Poster for Сваты

    Сваты 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.

    1+1
    77
  • Poster for Early Swallows

    Early 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.

    Novyi Kanal
    83
  • Poster for Inseparable

    Inseparable 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.

    Inter
    70

Best Ukrainian movies

  • Poster for Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom

    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.

    82
  • Poster for Sniper: The White Raven

    Sniper: The White Raven 2022

    Mykola is an eccentric pacifist who wants to be useful to humanity. When the war begins in Donbas, 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.

    67
  • Poster for Mavka: The Forest Song

    Mavka: 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.

    69
  • Poster for The Tribe

    The Tribe 2014

    Deaf-mute Sergey enters a specialized boarding school for the deaf. 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."

    68
  • Poster for The Stolen Princess

    The 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.

    65
  • Poster for Luxembourg, Luxembourg

    Luxembourg, Luxembourg 2023

    Kolya and Vasylii learn that their father, who left them when they were children, is dying in Luxembourg, far away from them. One of them wants to go and find his father, while the other one does everything he can to prevent the first from leaving the country. As a result, they both go to Luxembourg in search of their dad: Kolya considers him a hero, while Vasylii thinks he is a scoundrel.

    81