Killhouse: Ukraine's new thriller brings real HUR mission to big screen
Scene from "Killhouse"
Ukrainian action film "Killhouse", based on a real special operation, will be released this fall. The film, which features real military personnel, will not only remind the world about Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine but also present an incredible rescue story, says a Facebook post by Ukraine's Defence Intelligence (HUR).
What is known about the film "Killhouse"
The action film, scheduled to premiere on November 20, 2025, tells the true story of the world's first drone-based rescue. In the film, a well-known American journalist finds himself at the center of a rescue operation carried out by the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR).
"The mission was to extract a wounded couple from an intersection in occupied territory, where their car came under heavy enemy fire. But everything becomes drastically more complicated when it's revealed that another life is at stake: the journalist's 14-year-old daughter, who the enemy has taken hostage," the trailer description states.
"The journalist, who not long ago was just an observer of the events unfolding in Ukraine, quickly becomes their main character. The Russians demand to exchange him for the girl, and the operation gains global attention with the involvement of US intelligence services, turning into a desperate fight for life," the synopsis also notes.
A distinctive feature of the film is the participation of real servicemen and veterans from Ukraine's Defense Forces, including:
- 3rd Separate Assault Brigade
- SBU (Special Operations Center "A")
- HUR
- Military community
The author and director of the film is Lubomyr Levytskyi.
Recently, as reported by HUR, a representative of the International Legion of the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Volodymyr, revealed exclusive details about the making of the thriller "Killhouse" in a conversation with Jenny Klochko for the podcast "Ukrainian Jenny meets."
According to him, 90% of the film's cast are active-duty military personnel, including intelligence legionnaires playing themselves.
"One of the functions why we should create media and this filming, producing is to write the history or write the story for the future about us," the soldier stated.
According to the Ukrainian defender, capturing history in cinema is important for future generations of those who fight for freedom and justice.
"I understand this filming, creating movies, creating documentary movies like we did: 'Summertime in Ukraine', 'White Raven' in 2022, about a Ukrainian sniper, now we are doing this "Killhouse" movie with director Lubomyr Levytskyi—it's fiction, but almost fiction—it is all to create a character, to create a picture, and to make a snapshot. Like a screenshot of how it looked," Volodymyr explained.
"In 10 years, in 12 years, in 15 years, some young guys or some next generations will be able to watch it, and yes, they will not figure out all the details about each fight, each campaign. You know, they need to read books, history books about this. But they will get a feeling, an emotional feeling," he added.
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