🎄 Train to December 31st — a New Year film about fate

You know, when I first heard about “Train to December 31st”, I thought: oh, just another New Year’s comedy for kids to laugh at while parents doze off in front of the TV. Like “Yolki” (Christmas Trees), only set on a train. I’d have kept scrolling. But then I saw the trailer… and something tugged at me. An old Ukrainian Railways train on its very last run, a conductor about to retire, December 31st, snow… Damn, this is about all of us!

I sat down to watch it on the evening of December 30th. My wife was already asleep, the cat was dozing on the radiator, and I poured myself a cup of tea with a tangerine (you know the vibe). And an hour and twenty minutes later I’m sitting there wiping away tears. Not from laughter. Though I did laugh too—I was retelling scenes to my wife until 4 a.m.

What “Train to December 31st” is really about

The plot is simple as pie: an old train has to get from Kharkiv (or somewhere around there?) to Kyiv on December 31st, after which it’s being retired. Conductor Mykola Ivanovych (Stanislav Boklan, king as always) just wants to quietly finish his last shift. Normally this train is almost empty before New Year’s. But this time… a completely full car. And every passenger has their own drama—funny, sad, or downright absurd.

And halfway there the train stops dead in the middle of a field. Snow, night, 40 minutes until the New Year. No cell service. And then… pure magic begins.

Warning: trying to stay spoiler-free from here, but if you’re super sensitive—skip the next two paragraphs.

Why I didn’t expect it to hit me so hard

I thought it’d be like “Girkо!” or the “Servant of the People” movie—funny, but forgettable. But here… every character feels like someone from my own life.

There’s a grandma carrying a gift for her grandson, terrified she won’t make it in time.
There’s a guy running away from a girl (or to a girl?).
There’s a DJ dressed as Santa Claus who’s stuck between the stations of his own life.
And a bunch more characters you recognize in five seconds flat.

By the way, Yurii Horbunov here isn’t playing a TV host—he’s a real, flawed, living man with problems, and it’s both weird and awesome at the same time. And Kateryna Kuznetsova… she’s gorgeous, but she acts so well you forget how gorgeous she is.

But the main thing is Stanislav Boklan. After “Servant of the People” I thought he was typecast forever, but here he’s… different. Here he’s old, tired, but with such warmth in his eyes. When he gives his speech at the end… I just muted the sound because I was sobbing like a little girl. Seriously.

Is it a comedy or a drama?

🎄 Train to December 31st — a New Year film about fate

Both. At first you’re laughing—the humor is very Ukrainian, subtle, sometimes dark, sometimes completely silly (the sandwich scene is an absolute masterpiece). Then suddenly—silence. And you realize this isn’t just about a train. It’s about how we’re all riding our own “last run”—some toward retirement, some toward a new life, some just trying to make it by midnight to say something important.

For real, I once rode in a platzkart carriage too. Snow, weird people, stuck for two hours. Back then it was scary. Here… it’s the same thing, but wrapped in warmth. Like someone took my memories and turned them into a fairy tale.

Are there any downsides? Yep.

Of course. The camera sometimes shakes like the operator was running after the train. Some jokes drag on. The ending is a bit too sweet, like a tangerine dipped in sugar. But come on, it’s NEW YEAR’S. That’s allowed.

And it’s only 1 hour 21 minutes long. Perfect. You won’t get tired. If you start at 10:30 p.m., you’ll finish right on time for midnight.

Who this film is for

For those who love “Love Actually” and “Yolki” but want something truly Ukrainian.
For family viewing—kids laugh, parents quietly cry.
For anyone who’s ever traveled by train on New Year’s Eve.
For those who miss the old platzkart carriages with those smells (you know what I mean).

My rating

As a cinephile, I’d give it 8/10. But as a human being—10/10. Because Ukrainian cinema rarely hits the heart so precisely.

In short: watch “Train to December 31st” this year. Absolutely. With family. With tea. With tangerines. And don’t be ashamed of the tears. It’s okay—even a cynic like me was crying by the end.

And that train… I’ll never forget that train.

Happy New Year, friends. May all your trains always reach their destination ❤️

P.S. Did you notice that real old Ukrainian Railways carriage flickering in the frame the whole time? They say it was actually retired after filming. That’s how eras end…

Author: ReelPoint