In the heart of a brutal conflict, a new genre of Ukrainian cinema is emerging, one where witches and zombies deliver a form of cinematic justice against invading Russian forces. These homegrown, female-driven horror films are achieving remarkable popularity, offering a stark reflection of the nation's collective consciousness during wartime.
From Battlefield to Big Screen
The production of the 2023 hit The Witch: Revenge, also known as The Konotop Witch, was steeped in the grim reality of war. Producer Iryna Kostyuk, speaking from Kyiv, revealed that the Russian soldier costumes were sourced directly from the battlefield. These were real Russian uniforms taken from captured or deceased soldiers, cleaned by the production team, and then deliberately dirtied to appear authentically lived-in.
Some uniforms still bore the names of their original owners, with several having names crossed out, a haunting indication they had been pilfered from fallen comrades. Kostyuk admitted this presented a significant psychological challenge for the Ukrainian actors required to wear them.
The film's plot, centring on a witch who reclaims her powers after Russians kill her fiancé, struck a powerful chord. It became a runaway box office success in Ukraine, earning $1.4 million—a substantial figure for a nation enduring curfews and frequent power cuts.
A Cinematic Universe of Dark Heroines
The Witch: Revenge is the inaugural entry in a planned horror cycle titled Heroines of the Dark Times, overseen by Kostyuk. The second film, The Dam, is a zombie splatterfest. This gore-filled narrative follows a Ukrainian military unit, led by a female soldier codenamed Mara, as they discover a Cold War-era laboratory. Here, Soviet scientists conducted sinister experiments in the 1950s, leading to a confrontation with undead Soviet soldiers and a battle against their own deepest fears.
This trend prompts a compelling question: why would audiences seek out horror on screen when they are surrounded by it in daily life? Kostyuk explains that spectator tastes have evolved during the war. In 2023, her animated family film Mavka: The Forest Song was interpreted as a patriotic allegory and became Ukraine's highest-grossing film ever.
However, by 2024, she noticed a shift. The public mood had darkened, and people wanted revenge. The Witch: Revenge delivered precisely that. Its marketing logline—"a Ukrainian witch kicks the shit out of Russians"—resonated instantly. While western viewers might find the film's graphic violence grim, Ukrainian audiences reacted differently. "For Ukrainian audiences, it was not scary," Kostyuk noted. "They would look at those guts being splattered of the Russians and would be satisfied."
Female Audiences and Mythological Roots
The feminist themes in these films are driven by both market dynamics and cultural heritage. Kostyuk points out that the theatrical audience in Ukraine is now predominantly female, as many men are serving in the armed forces. Furthermore, she emphasises that Ukrainian mythology is inherently rich with powerful female figures, making the thematic focus a natural fit.
Kostyuk has high hopes for The Dam's international appeal, particularly for horror enthusiasts and those in the West concerned about Russian expansionism. She connects the film's Soviet-era zombies to a broader political struggle, stating the project fights against the imperialist mindset that Putin seeks to revive.
A third film, about a policewoman battling neo-Nazi vampires, is already in development. When questioned about safety during production, Kostyuk dismisses the concern. "It is high, high risk," she states, explaining that locations are chosen first, and the team simply deals with the inherent dangers.
Audience appetites continue to shift. The thirst for revenge that defined 2023 has given way to a desire for escapism, leading to more modest box office returns for The Dam. Undeterred, Kostyuk recently produced a live-action version of Mavka, titled The True Myth, filmed in Ukrainian forests and delivered on schedule despite constant air raid sirens. In creating zombie movies and family adventures amidst an invasion, Iryna Kostyuk embodies the very spirit of a heroine in dark times.
