Under the Volcano
Under the Volcano
A blended Ukrainian family spends the last day of their vacation in Tenerife, Spain. When Russia's invasion of Ukraine strands them on the island, they must contend with isolation, duty, fear - and each other.
Kevin Ward reviewedJune 30, 2025
Under the Volcano follows a Ukrainian family stranded on vacation in Tenerife when Russia invades their homeland. As other tourists carry on without a care, Roman (Roman Lutskyi), Nastia (Anastasiia Karpenko), and their children find themselves emotionally unraveling in paradise.
Small ruptures reveal deeper anxieties—Nastia lashes out at nearby Russian guests; Roman gets them lost on a hike and spirals into self-doubt. The film gradually shifts to teenage Sofia (Sofia Berezovska), whose connection with a grieving refugee adds a poignant parallel.
It’s gently affecting and thoughtfully performed, even if the symbolism is sometimes overstated. Still, it captures the strange dissonance of watching your homeland fall apart from behind a curtain of sunshine.