In a powerful testament to frontline filmmaking, Mstyslav Chernov's devastating documentary 2000 Meters to Andriivka has been ranked as the second-best film of 2025 for UK audiences. This searing follow-up to his Oscar-winning 20 Days in Mariupol chronicles a brutal, incremental Ukrainian advance during the late 2023 counteroffensive, transforming a distance of just over a mile into an epic and lethal struggle.
A Journey of Unimaginable Horror
The film's title refers to the short, wooded stretch separating Ukrainian forces from the abandoned, one-street settlement of Andriivka. This town was seen as a key notch in Russian supply lines. What should be a 10-minute walk becomes a weeks-long nightmare, as soldiers from Ukraine's third assault brigade battle constant Russian artillery, sniper fire, and aerial attacks.
Chernov, who was virtually the only documentary filmmaker on that specific frontline amidst a fog of Russian propaganda, creates an immersive experience. He masterfully blends his own footage with soldiers' bodycam recordings, offering a harrowing, first-person view of the terror. The result is a senseless barrage of carnage, a chilling fusion of First World War-style trench warfare and modern drone-led dystopia.
More Than Combat: A Record of Lost Lives
The documentary's power lies not only in its battle scenes but in its poignant human moments. Chernov captures the soldiers, mostly boyish men in their twenties whose lives were upended by the full-scale invasion, during rare downtime. We see them in reflection, sharing fragments of the lives they left behind—university plans, careers, families. Tragically, for many of these individuals, the film serves as their final record.
Watching the 106-minute film is described as a physically and psychically gruelling experience. It forces viewers to confront the reality of young men, the same age as many of our brothers or sons, enduring unimaginable horror. Yet, this discomfort is central to the film's purpose.
An Indelible Testament and a Stark Warning
2000 Meters to Andriivka stands as an astonishing cinematic achievement on multiple levels. It is a crucial document of 21st-century warfare, an unvarnished record of historical truth, and a moving memorial to those lost. Above all, it is a testament to Ukrainian resistance and the fundamental senselessness of the conflict.
The film also echoes a profound and disconsolate fear voiced by Chernov himself: "The longer the war goes on, the less people will care about it." In a world where the international community risks accepting a grim permanence to the invasion, this documentary is a vital corrective. It ensures that the specific, bloody cost of a pyrrhic victory at Andriivka, and the human stories within it, are not forgotten.
By securing its place as one of the UK's top films of the year, 2000 Meters to Andriivka transcends the cinema to become a necessary act of witness, demanding attention long after the credits roll.
