Nashi Kotyky

Very kind movie =) A lot of specific military jokes and allusions to real life characters, so do your homework before watching and enjoy.

As many have probably already said, one of the few things that makes the horrors that a society goes through is humor - and "Lethal Kittens" is an example of this. This film isn't for everyone. For instance, I don't think that someone completely unfamiliar with Ukrainian culture or the atrocities of the Russo-Ukrainian war in Eastern and Southern Ukraine will really get the jokes or understand why it's worth joking about. If you see a negative review, that's probably why. However, for its audience, the film is a bit of a release... It "says what everyone's feeling, but don't know how to express..."

As far as the name, "Lethal Kittens" is a rough English translation of the nickname that volunteers use for the soldiers that they support. That's one of the important things to understand for the context of this film. Especially in 2014 and 2015, the Ukrainian army was so poorly equipped that villages had to band together to buy bullet-proof vests or helmets for their sons that were being sent against the Russian army in Donetsk. Volunteers were essential to the survival of Ukraine, not just the soldiers on the front lines. Because of this lack of resources and support from the government, the soldiers often felt abandoned by their higher-ups (this is seen in the film). This is still true today.

If you've gotten this far in my review and are a praying person, please pray for this conflict, especially for all of those caught up in the fighting.

The early days of war and the atmosphere on the front lines is usually difficult to describe to people outside the events, yet this film does a marvelous job at being extremely accurate in metaphorical sense. Despair, courage, fleeing illusions and the making of warriors out of soft-bodied civilians, freedom of speech and journalism standards - everything is being replayed in the movie with kindness and grotesque humor. Funny to both the general audience and participants of those events, it nevertheless touches the sorrow inside and draws tears without any palpable effect from scriptwriters/director.

Superb Ukraine-Russia war comedy with therapeutical effect!

The film shows the reality in which Ukraine has to live and defend freedom.