---
title: "From Mafia Clans to Mysterious Deaths: 10 Ukrainian Films and Series with Plots That Will Surprise Even a Seasoned Viewer"
description: "Styler from RBC-Ukraine presented a selection of 10 Ukrainian films and series with unusual plots: from a mafia comedy in Sicily and a mystical thriller in the Carpathians to a 2014 war drama and a social story about a family hosting an LGBTQ+ activist."
date: 2026-09-13T14:08:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukrainian-films-and-series-unusual-plots-2026
tags: [ukrainian-cinema, ukrainian-tv, film-reviews, series, styler, rbc-ukraine, entertainment]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# From Mafia Clans to Mysterious Deaths: 10 Ukrainian Films and Series with Plots That Will Surprise Even a Seasoned Viewer

![Character collage from a Ukrainian drama series: a soldier in camouflage, a close-up actor, a seated hero and a woman in a blazer — plots that will surprise viewers](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/13/ukrainskie-filmy-i-serialy-nebanalnye-syu-ety-podborka-2026/ukrainskie-filmy-i-serialy-nebanalnye-syu-ety-podborka-2026-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Styler (RBC-Ukraine) published a selection of 10 Ukrainian films and series with non-standard plots
- The selection covers genres ranging from mafia comedy and mystical thriller to war drama and social realism
- Among the projects are the story of a Carpathian woman in a Sicilian mafia clan, an investigator in a Carpathian village, and a mother in occupied territory
- The selection demonstrates the breadth of genre coverage on the Ukrainian screen in 2026

Ukrainian cinema and television in 2026 demonstrate a rare breadth of genre coverage for the region: from war drama and social realism to the mystical thriller and the mafia comedy. The Styler project from RBC-Ukraine has published a selection of ten Ukrainian films and series whose scripts go far beyond conventional expectations. The selection features stories in which a Ukrainian housewife brings order to a Sicilian mafia clan, an investigator probes mysterious deaths in a Carpathian village, and a mother secretly infiltrates occupied territory to save her son. Each of these projects proves that the Ukrainian screen can surprise even those viewers who are convinced they have already seen every possible plot.

### Thriller and Social Drama: "Tikha Nava" and the Story of Nina Petrovna

The series "Tikha Nava" (Quiet Nava) revolves around a young lawyer, Adam, who arrives in a quiet provincial town for a vacation, but an ordinary holiday turns into an investigation of a series of grave crimes. The police downplay the facts, witnesses remain silent, and the local system tries to hide the truth. Adam decides to get to the bottom of the truth on his own, and the deeper he digs into the case, the more obvious it becomes: the town is far from as quiet as it seems. In parallel, the selection features the story of Nina Petrovna — a woman who learns that her only son, who went to the front as a volunteer, has been captured. Without waiting for help from the state, she secretly sets off for occupied territory, passing through checkpoints and dangerous villages. Her search turns into a fight for her son's life, where each subsequent step could be the last.

### Comedic and Everyday Plots: From the Mechanic-Psychologist to the Carpathian Housekeeper

The Ukrainian screen is not limited to heavy themes alone. The selection includes the story of a young auto mechanic, Vitya, from Lubny, who dreams of becoming a psychologist and begins helping people right at his parents' auto repair shop, explaining human problems through automotive metaphors. His extraordinary approach quickly makes Vitya popular among the locals, however, he faces a difficult choice: stay in his hometown or risk everything for the dream of Kyiv. No less unusual is the plot about the Kozys from the Carpathians, who travel to Italy to help their daughter with a newborn grandchild. Instead of a warm family reunion, they find themselves without work or a roof over their heads, and in the end Kozha ends up working as a housekeeper in the family of a Sicilian mafia boss. Gradually, the Carpathian woman begins to bring order not only to his house but to the mafia clan itself.

### War and Its Aftermath: Six Stories and Mysterious Carpathian Deaths

A special place in the selection is occupied by a series about the first weeks of the full-scale invasion seen through the eyes of ordinary people. Six separate stories: a wife who finds herself under the same roof as her ex-husband; zoo workers trying to save the animals; a foreigner who came to take his beloved out of Kyiv but ends up getting involved in volunteering. Each of these heroes was living an ordinary life just yesterday, and today they are forced to adapt to a new reality. Another project is the story of Kyiv investigator Markian Sych, who, after being wounded, comes to a Carpathian village, Yaseny, for rehabilitation. Instead of peace, he finds himself amid mysterious deaths: the locals are convinced that evil spirits and the mysterious Mara are behind them, whereas Markian seeks a perfectly earthly explanation. The deeper he digs into the investigation, the more he understands: in this village, everyone is hiding something.

### Personal Dramas and Existential Plots: From the Cemetery Contractor to the "Gendelik" Cafe

The selection also features projects that explore the inner conflicts of their heroes. Sasha — a former architect who earns a living installing memorials and has grown accustomed to looking at death with cynicism and irony. The return of his teenage daughter and the fight for control over the cemetery drag him into a whirlpool of personal dramas and criminal conflicts, and behind his indifference a trauma gradually emerges, one he has been trying to hide from. Screenwriter Ivan Herasymov, due to a creative crisis, fails to finish a script on time and flees from an influential client, ending up in a strange cafe called "Gendelik," where he meets people from his past. The boundary between memories, fantasies, and reality disappears, and to get out of the cafe, Ivan will have to come to terms with himself. The selection is completed by the story of an ordinary Ukrainian family, the Naiediukhs, who agree to participate in a state financial assistance program on the condition of hosting an LGBTQ+ activist in their home for three weeks. What initially seems like an easy way to get money turns into a clash with their own stereotypes and fears, and in the end it is not the guest who must change, but the hosts themselves.

### A 2014 War Drama and the Significance of the Ukrainian Screen

The top ten is completed by a war drama about Luhansk border guards who, in 2014, faced a choice: surrender under enemy pressure or remain faithful to their oath. Russian special services and armed militants try to break them from within, playing on the distrust between the fighters. When the situation reaches a critical point, each of them must show what their loyalty is truly worth. The Styler selection demonstrates that Ukrainian cinema and television in 2026 work with the full spectrum of genres — from mysticism and comedy to war and social realism — forming a screen ecosystem capable of competing in originality with global counterparts. Previously, Styler also reported on Ukrainian series that will receive sequels as early as autumn 2026.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- ["Tikha Nava," "I Work at a Cemetery" and others: Ukrainian films and series with unconventional plots](https://styler.rbc.ua/ukr/trends/tiha-nava-ya-pratsyuyu-tsvintari-ta-inshi-1789048285.html) - Первичный источник подборки из 10 украинских фильмов и сериалов. Все описания сюжетов, имена персонажей и названия перенесены из текста источника. Ссылка: https://styler.rbc.ua/ukr/trends/tiha-nava-ya-pratsyuyu-tsvintari-ta-inshi-1789048285.html

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: How many films and series are included in the Styler selection?
**A:** The Styler selection from RBC-Ukraine includes 10 Ukrainian films and series with unconventional plots.

### Q: What genre dominates the selection?
**A:** The selection covers a wide range of genres: thriller, social drama, comedy, war drama, mysticism, existential drama, and social satire. There is no single dominant genre.

### Q: What is Styler and who publishes it?
**A:** Styler is an entertainment project of RBC-Ukraine that combines entertainment and lifestyle: it writes about trends, stars, advice, recipes, and horoscopes. Its identifier in the Register of Media Sector Entities is R40-05347.

### Q: Are there any films or series in the selection related to the war?
**A:** Yes. The selection includes a series about the first weeks of the full-scale invasion seen through the eyes of six ordinary people, the story of Nina Petrovna who sets off for occupied territory to find her son, and a war drama about Luhansk border guards in 2014.