The Guardians of Christmas

The Guardians of Christmas

2025 · ★ 9.0 · Comedy, Fantasy

Trying to discover who now presides over the winter holidays in Ukraine, three legendary gift-givers - Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus, and the ancient Spirit of Winter - race to grant little Vira’s every wish. But Vira, embittered, demands that Christmas be wiped from existence. Instantly, carols and holiday cheer vanish from the city and from everyone’s memory, leaving only sorrow in their place. Stripped of their magic and turned into ordinary mortals, the three must join forces to avert the Armageddon unleashed by Christmas’s disappearance, and to restore Vira’s faith in miracles and hope for a bright future.

Directed by Oleksandr Kirienko · Written by Tamara Hrantovska

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

Cast

Make it a double feature

The Guardians of Christmas

The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales

A close match in mood and era.

More from Oleksandr KirienkoSee all →

On One's Own Land

On One's Own Land · 2017

On One's Own Land

Spring. Shots and explosions can be heard nearby - there is a war. Uliana packed her things to go. All the neighbors have long since left, except for them and Pasha. Gordii cuts trees in his garden. Uliana catches a car that is ready to take them to a safe place, but Gordii, despite the war, refuses to leave his native land.

Sirens

The measured life of a provincial town is shaken by terrible news: the body of a 32-year-old woman has been found. There is a suspicion that the deceased is the sister of the investigator of the local police department, Rita Tikhonova, who disappeared 14 years ago. An investigation begins, during which Rita is faced with very strange circumstances and understands that her environment keeps terrible secrets, and her family and friends are not who they say they are.

Orange Sky

Orange Sky · 2006

MovieDramaRomance

Love story of the student of Ivanna and Mark, the son of the governor. Mark has a brilliant future - studying in a prestigious Western university, provided a bride. His concern is choosing a car brand in which club to spend the evening with the same snobs and cynics from wealthy families. Ivanna is emotional, unpredictable, she is not indifferent to not only her future but also the future of her country. She broke into Mark's life with an orange swirl and changed him in minutes. They are not alike, they even speak different languages, but the main thing now is love.

Убийство на т�роих

Убийство на троих · 2015

Убийство на троих

SeriesMysteryComedy

Indi

MovieRomanceDrama

Arina is young, reach and independent woman. She's married to a wealthy businessman. But deep inside she's still looking for a true love.

Illusion of Fear

Illusion of Fear · 2008

Illusion of Fear

Story of a successful businessman, who has to protect his business in difficult conditions. He gets entrapped into the net of law enforcement structures and after arrest the protagonist starts to notice weird things: some of his interlocutors appear to be not real persons, but phantoms, created by his consciousness. Fantomness, dematerialization of things that are obvious for common sense brings the author to the next stage of thinking - that the illusion of fear is also fruit of our imagination.

Gas Station Queen 2

Gas Station Queen 2 · 2004

Gas Station Queen 2

MovieComedyRomance

The remake of a famous 1963 comedy 'Koroleva Benzokolonki'.

Our Children

Our Children · 2007

Dina, a former figure skating star, works as a coach in a boarding school for problematic children when she meets Lada - a new and very talented girl.

Saxophone Solo

Saxophone Solo · 2012

Vladislav Lavrov is the owner of a powerful construction empire. He is lucky in everything – the business is booming, his beautiful wife is making a breakneck career on stage, and his beloved daughter is on television. But one day, his old friend Sasha Frolov appears in Lavrov's house. He is poor, terminally ill, and everyone calls him Sasha the Saxophone for his virtuoso playing of the instrument. This man completely destroys Lavrov's stable and orderly life in one day. "Solo on the Saxophone" will reveal to us the secrets of this family and this friendship one by one, as well as the main secret that binds former friends, now a criminal and a construction magnate.

A December Tale 2: The Lost Letter

A December Tale 2: The Lost Letter · 2026

A December Tale 2: The Lost Letter

MovieFamilyComedy

Whilst preparing for yet another round of spreading holiday cheer, saint Nicholas discovers an unopened letter that had been sent to him by a young boy named Borys 30 years ago. Now the latter is a sucssesful businessman who had lost the abbility to see the joys and whimsy of life after being severly beaten down by the world around him. The legendary giftgiver enters a race against time to help the broken man regain his childlike wonder, or else one will forever loose the abbility to feel joy and the other, his magical powers.

Team Building

Team Building · 2025

With layoffs looming, a team-building retreat in the Carpathians turns into a no-holds-barred competition as employees learn their jobs are on the line.

To Save Horsie

To Save Horsie · 2024

MovieDocumentary

An investigative film dedicated to the fate of children affected by Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. The plot centers on the story of a bloodstained toy horse found at a train station after shelling. Who did the horse from Kramatorsk belong to? Was its young owner able to escape? If so, where is he now, and what has become of him? The idea behind the film is to try to find this child or his relatives and get answers to these questions. While investigating the Kramatorsk tragedy, we will also tell other poignant stories about broken children's lives.

Clown

Every morning the Clown gets on the bus and arranges a show for passengers, makes gifts to children and the conductor. Everyone is happy and adores him. But once he doesn't show up… This is a story about kindness. The story of the "baton of goodness" that a young policeman takes from a clown (retiree) and passes on the good.

Naydenysh

Naydenysh · 2010

MovieRomanceDrama

The Shrove Sunday

The Shrove Sunday · 2018

The Shrove Sunday

A little orphan boy, an immigrant from eastern Ukraine, finds himself in an orphanage after the death of his parents and faces the cruelty of other children. He really wants to go to church on Shrove Sunday and apologize for his hatred.

Naydenysh 2

Naydenysh 2 · 2011

MovieRomanceDrama

Анна и Никита воспитывают чужого ребенка, но теперь у них появился шанс на рождение собственного: беременность Анны подтверждается. Женщину кладут на сохранение. Однако их счастье омрачается попытками некой доброжелательницы убедить Анну и ее мужа, что в ее возрасте опасно рожать. По ее мнению, Анне следует прибегнуть к помощи суррогатной матери. А пока Анна находится в роддоме, Никита берет на себя заботу о матери-одиночке с новорожденным ребенком, отец которого трагически погиб...

More Like This

The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales

The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales · 2017

The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales

MovieFamilyAnimation

The countryside isn't always as calm and peaceful as it's made out to be, and the animals on this farm are particularly agitated: a fox who mothers a family of chicks, a rabbit who plays the stork, and a duck who wants to be Santa Claus.

Trading Places

Trading Places · 1983

A snobbish investor and a wily street con-artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires.

Christmas & Co.

Christmas & Co. · 2017

Christmas & Co.

MovieComedyFantasy

Christmas is on its way and with it disaster. The 92,000 responsible for manufacturing children's toys all become sick at the same time! It's a tough moment for Santa, better known as Father Christmas. He's left no choice: he must make an emergency trip to Earth with his reindeer to search for a remedy. When he arrives, he must find some allies to save the magic of Christmas.

Taxi 3

MovieActionComedy

A gang of thieves calling themselves the Santa Claus Gang are wreaking havoc, and the police can't keep up. Police Captain Gilbert is distracted by a Chinese reporter writing a story on his squad, and taxi driver Daniel is in the midst of a relationship crisis. After a string of mistakes in which the thieves outsmart the police time and time again, Daniel and his super-taxi pitch in.

Everything Is Illuminated

Everything Is Illuminated · 2005

Everything Is Illuminated

MovieComedyDrama

A young Jewish American man endeavors—with the help of eccentric, distant relatives—to find the woman who saved his grandfather during World War II—in a Ukrainian village which was ultimately razed by the Nazis.

The Time Machine

The Time Machine · 1960

The Time Machine

MovieThrillerAdventure

A Victorian Englishman travels to the far future and finds that humanity has divided into two hostile species.

The Polar Express

The Polar Express · 2004

The Polar Express

MovieAdventureAnimation

When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

Fred Claus

Fred Claus · 2007

MovieActionComedy

Fred Claus and Santa Claus have been estranged brothers for many years. Now Fred must reconcile his differences with his brother whom he believes overshadows him. When an efficiency expert assesses the workings at the North Pole and threatens to shut Santa down, Fred must help his brother to save Christmas.

Noelle

MovieFamilyComedy

Kris Kringle's daughter, Noelle, sets off on a mission to find and bring back her brother, after he gets cold feet when it's his turn to take over as Santa.

Jingle All the Way 2

Jingle All the Way 2 · 2014

Jingle All the Way 2

MovieFamilyComedy

Larry's daughter wants only one thing for Christmas - a talking bear. His daughter's step-dad intends to make sure that Larry can't get one.

More on NetflixSee all →

Animals

Animals · 2026

MovieThrillerDrama

When the son of an L.A. mayoral candidate is kidnapped, he and his wife have a few hours to come up with the ransom payment. With most of their money spent on his political campaign, they have to get their hands dirty and expose a side of their lives they never intended to see the light of day.

Reporting Live

Reporting Live · 2026

MovieCrimeThriller

A young reporter and her reluctant cameraman chase a story, only to get entangled in an illegal sand-mining racket run by a ruthless syndicate.

The Wild Robot

The Wild Robot · 2024

MovieFamilyAnimation

After a shipwreck, an intelligent robot called Roz is stranded on an uninhabited island. To survive the harsh environment, Roz bonds with the island's animals and cares for an orphaned baby goose.

Spider-Man: No Way Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home · 2021

Spider-Man: No Way Home

MovieActionAdventure

Peter Parker is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the high-stakes of being a super-hero. When he asks for help from Doctor Strange the stakes become even more dangerous, forcing him to discover what it truly means to be Spider-Man.

Spirited Away

Spirited Away · 2001

MovieAnimationFamily

A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free her family.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle · 2025

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle

MovieAnimationAction

The Demon Slayer Corps are drawn into the Infinity Castle, where Tanjiro, Nezuko, and the Hashira face terrifying Upper Rank demons in a desperate fight as the final battle against Muzan Kibutsuji begins.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood · 2019

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood

MovieComedyDrama

Los Angeles, 1969. TV star Rick Dalton, a struggling actor specializing in westerns, and stuntman Cliff Booth, his best friend, try to survive in a constantly changing movie industry. Dalton is the neighbor of the young and promising actress and model Sharon Tate, who has just married the prestigious Polish director Roman Polanski…

The Godfather

The Godfather · 1972

MovieDramaCrime

Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.

The Storm

The Storm · 2026

MovieComedyDrama

When a storm traps old university pals at a luxury lodge, their civilized birthday bash spirals into a cyclone of betrayals, grudges and unfiltered chaos.

Evil Dead Burn

Evil Dead Burn · 2026

After her husband's abrupt death, Alice seeks solace with his remaining family — descendants of a leading researcher on demonic possession. As her in-laws transform one by one into creatures that feed on fear, she comes to discover that the vows she took in life survive even in death.

Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle · 2004

Howl's Moving Castle

MovieFantasyAnimation

Sophie, a young milliner, is turned into an elderly woman by a witch who enters her shop and curses her. She encounters a wizard named Howl and gets caught up in his resistance to fighting for the king.

War Machine

War Machine · 2026

MovieActionScience Fiction

On one last grueling mission during Army Ranger training, a combat engineer must lead his unit in a fight against a giant otherworldly killing machine.

Shrek Forever After

Shrek Forever After · 2010

Shrek Forever After

MovieComedyAdventure

A midlife-crisis burdened Shrek, longing for the days of when he felt like a real ogre, makes a pact with magic deal-maker Rumpelstiltskin. But when he's duped and sent to a twisted version of Far Far Away—where Rumpelstiltskin is king, ogres are hunted, and he and Fiona have never met—he sets out to restore his world and reclaim his true love.

Facing El Chapo

Facing El Chapo · 2026

Facing El Chapo

MovieCrimeAction

Two Mexican officers must survive the final hours of their shift after crossing a ruthless cartel boss.

Swapped

Swapped · 2026

MovieAdventureAnimation

A small woodland creature and a majestic bird, two natural sworn enemies of the Valley, magically trade places and set off on an adventure of a lifetime to switch back. Their journey soon uncovers a greater threat—one that could endanger not only their species, but the entire valley they call home.

Transformers One

Transformers One · 2024

Transformers One

MovieAnimationScience Fiction

The untold origin story of Optimus Prime and Megatron, better known as sworn enemies, but once were friends bonded like brothers who changed the fate of Cybertron forever.

Shrek the Third

Shrek the Third · 2007

Shrek the Third

MovieFantasyAdventure

After the King of Far Far Away dies, Shrek and Fiona are to succede. However, Shrek wants to return to his cozy swamp and live in peace and quiet, so when he finds out there is another heir to the throne, he and Donkey set off to bring him back to rule the kingdom.

White Chicks

White Chicks · 2004

MovieComedyCrime

Two FBI agent brothers, Marcus and Kevin Copeland, accidentally foil a drug bust. To avoid being fired they accept a mission escorting a pair of socialites to the Hamptons--but when the girls are disfigured in a car accident, they refuse to go. Left without options, Marcus and Kevin decide to pose as the sisters, transforming themselves from black men into rich white women.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs · 2009

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

MovieAnimationComedy

Times are changing for Manny the moody mammoth, Sid the motor mouthed sloth and Diego the crafty saber-toothed tiger. Life heats up for our heroes when they meet some new and none-too-friendly neighbors – the mighty dinosaurs.

Ice Age: Continental Drift

Ice Age: Continental Drift · 2012

Ice Age: Continental Drift

MovieAnimationComedy

Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon another adventure after their continent is set adrift. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they explore a new world.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter