Amazon Prime viewers have flocked to praise “one of the best” war films they have ever watched. Sniper: The White Raven, released in 2022, follows Mykola, a high school teacher who has his world turned upside down after Russia invades Donbas in 2014. With his peaceful way of life interrupted, Mykola joins a volunteer battalion and swears revenge on the Russians. Nicknamed ‘Civvie’, Ukrainian officers believe he will last just one week in the army.
Driven by his desire for revenge, Mykola switches into warrior mode and becomes a trained sniper, later earning the nickname Raven. The story is inspired by the life and experiences of scriptwriter Mykola Voronin, a school teacher who later enlisted with the military. Aldoshyn Pavlo leads the cast of the Ukrainian film, which is directed by Maryan Bushan and written by Bushan and Mykola Voronin.
The synopsis reads: “After his pregnant wife is killed by militants, an eccentric pacifist enlists to fight as a sniper in Donbass, Ukraine, vowing vengeance for both his wife and his comrades.”
Sniper: The White Raven won the 11th competition of the Ukrainian State Film Agency and has been ranked the best movie about Ukraine by fans on Ranker.
Rotten Tomatoes awarded the film with a 72% rating, while fans have praised it for being one of the best non-English films ever made.
“Sniper the white Raven This masterpiece was insane,” one wrote on X as a second declared: “Sniper: The White Raven will be one of the best non English movies I’ve seen. A well made Ukrainian war sniper movie. Recommended, absolutely.”
“Sniper The White Raven is the best military movie to me,” added a third.
Expressing their admiration for the film, another echoed: “Sniper: The White Raven – quite possibly one of the best directed, acted and constructed sniper films of recent years, featuring superb, tense showdowns amongst interesting environments and scenarios.”
Responding to a comment about the film, a fifth chimed in: “Excellent movie, one of the best non English movies I have ever seen!!! Very good story with a lot of action!!! I really enjoyed this movie.”
Another declared: “This is the best movie I have ever watched.”