Culinary biopic Tony, chronicling the early life of chef Anthony Bourdain, leads this week's new movie arrivals in Ukrainian cinemas.
The biographical drama arrives alongside supernatural horror sequel Insidious: Out of the Further, psychological thriller The Birthday Party starring Willem Dafoe, and Ukrainian romantic comedy Red Ruta Train.
Moviegoers across Ukraine can also catch continuing screenings from previous weeks, along with major television debuts arriving on streaming platforms this August.
Tony focuses on a single pivotal summer in 1976 that alters the course of nineteen-year-old Tony's life. Dreaming of a career as a writer, the young man faces initial disappointment when an application for a university scholarship is rejected.
Desperate to figure out his future, he takes a summer job at a seaside seafood restaurant. That decision launches his journey toward becoming a world-renowned chef, author, and global traveller, while also bringing him his first major romantic relationship.
American actor Dominic Sessa, known for his breakout role in The Holdovers and his appearance in Now You See Me 3, stars in the lead role as the young Bourdain. Bourdain himself went on to become one of the most influential figures in modern culinary history before his death in 2018.
The supporting cast includes British actor Leo Woodall, whose credits include Nuremberg, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, and The Tuner. Spanish star Antonio Banderas, famed for The Mask of Zorro, Paddington in Peru, Babygirl, and The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard, also appears alongside English actress Emilia Jones of Coda, The Running Man, Youth, Utopia, and Locke and Key.
Canadian filmmaker Matt Johnson directed the project from a biographical perspective. Johnson, whose previous directing credits include Dirties, Operation Avalanche, BlackBerry, and Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, is recognized for working extensively in the mockumentary style.
The production debuted in United States theaters on August 7, 2026, before expanding to international cinemas this week. It has garnered strong reception from both critics and general audiences across major film database platforms.
On IMDb, Tony holds a score of 7.6 out of 10. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports a 94 percent approval rating from critics with a Certified Fresh designation, paired with a 92 percent rating from filmgoers. Metacritic lists a critic score of 75 out of 100 and a user score of 7.9 out of 10, both representing generally favorable reviews.
Insidious horror franchise sequel
Insidious: Out of the Further marks the sixth installment in the long-running Insidious supernatural horror franchise, serving as a direct sequel to the 2023 release Insidious: The Red Door. However, the new film shifts focus away from the Lambert family, who endured demonic hauntings across multiple entries.
The plot centers instead on Jemma, a young single mother who discovers she possesses the rare ability to travel into the terrifying spirit realm known as the Further and return alive. Her supernatural gift quickly attracts malevolent entities seeking to cross over into the physical world.
British actress Amelia Eve, widely recognized for her performance in the Netflix horror series The Haunting of Bly Manor, plays the lead role of Jemma. Brandon Perea, known for his roles in Nope, Twisters, and The OA, co-stars alongside Maisie Richardson-Sellers of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Originals, and DC's Legends of Tomorrow.
Veteran American actress Lin Shaye returns as demonologist Elise Rainier. Shaye remains the only cast member to appear in all five previous Insidious feature films, despite her character's physical death in the original 2010 movie.
American director Jacob Chase, best known for directing the 2020 horror feature Come Play, directed Insidious: Out of the Further based on his own original screenplay.
Willem Dafoe island thriller
Psychological thriller The Birthday Party brings a high-stakes family drama set on a secluded private island. The narrative revolves around an exclusive celebration thrown by powerful tycoon Marcos Timoleon for his daughter's birthday, styled in the vein of classic mob drama The Godfather.
Behind the demeanor of a devoted father, Timoleon operates as a ruthless tyrant who has orchestrated his daughter's entire future without her knowledge. Tension escalates when the sole heiress prepares to deliver a revelation that threatens to shatter her father's control and turn the gathering into a bitter battleground.
Four-time Academy Award nominee Willem Dafoe portrays the central character, whose persona was inspired by real-life Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. Dafoe's extensive filmography includes acclaimed roles in The Last Temptation of Christ, Cry-Baby, The English Patient, Shadow of the Vampire, Spider-Man, Antichrist, The Lighthouse, The Northman, Poor Things, and Nosferatu.
The international co-production between the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, and Greece also features British actor Joe Cole of Peaky Blinders and Gangs of London, alongside Goya Award-winning Spanish actress Emma Suárez of Julieta and April's Daughters.
Spanish director Miguel Ángel Jiménez directed the feature, adapting the story from the novel The Birthday Party by Greek author Panos Karnezis. The film held its world premiere at the prestigious Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland in 2025.
Critical response to The Birthday Party has been predominantly cool. The film currently holds a rating of 4.9 out of 10 on IMDb, a 35 percent approval score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a Metacritic score of 38 out of 100, which reflects generally unfavorable reviews.
Ukrainian comedy and celebrity cameos
Ukrainian cinema offerings this week feature the romantic family comedy Red Ruta Train. The project serves as the third entry in a popular comedy film series, following Train to December 31 in 2024 and Train to Christmas in 2025.
The story follows veteran train conductor Mykola Ivanovych, who boards the branded Red Ruta train not as an employee, but as a passenger taking his long-overdue vacation. Romantic encounters unfold along the journey as some passengers fall in love at first sight, others rekindle past relationships, and some realize that love was near them all along.
Actor Stanislav Boklan returns to headline the cast as Mykola Ivanovych. Boklan, known for his work in The Guide, Guardians of Christmas, Servant of the People, and Papik, is joined by returning cast members Kateryna Kuznetsova, Anna Kuzina, Yuriy Gorbunov, Liliya Rebrik, and Mykhailo Khoma.
New cast additions include Oleksandr Rudynskyi of Rhino, The Best Holidays, Rock Paper Scissors, Early Swallows, Quiet Creek, and The Agency. Roman Lutskyi, Kateryna Varchenko, Vyacheslav Dovzhenko, and Lesya Samayeva also join the ensemble.
The film features guest appearances from prominent Ukrainian recording artists who participated in the historic Chervona Ruta music festival. Musicians Iryna Bilyk, Oleksandr Ponomaryov, Natalya Mohylevska, and Oleh Mykhailyuta appear as themselves and perform the iconic song Chervona Ruta during a scene.
Oscar-winning American actor and director Sean Penn also makes a confirmed guest appearance in the film. Penn is known globally for his roles in Carlito's Way, Mystic River, Milk, Licorice Pizza, and One Battle After Another.
Ukrainian director Oleksiy Yesakov directed Red Ruta Train. Yesakov previously directed the comedy Dogs starring Lesya Nikityuk, and has helmed prominent television series including First Days, Border Guards, and Alive.
Streaming arrivals and international movie news
Beyond new theatrical releases, television viewers can access major streaming debuts during the third week of August 2026. Global streaming service Netflix is premiering the final season of its popular teen adventure drama Outer Banks, alongside the debut season of Scandinavian crime thriller A Bloody Sacrifice.
Recent developments in international cinema include fresh promotional releases from Marvel Studios, which published a new trailer featuring Doctor Doom for the upcoming Avengers installment and announced full casting details for the upcoming X-Men reboot. Separately, reports indicate actor Johnny Depp may return to his signature role in future Pirates of the Caribbean projects.
