In Stay Online, director Eva Strelnikova delivers a gripping and unexpectedly intimate digital thriller that unfolds entirely on a donated laptop—one of thousands given by ordinary Ukrainians to support the war effort. When Katya (Liza Zaitseva), a young volunteer in Kyiv, powers it on, she receives a sudden video call from a boy desperately searching for his father, the laptop’s previous owner. The man vanished during the brutal invasion of Bucha. What starts as a simple tech support moment quickly spirals into a high-stakes, real-time investigation that pulls Liza deeper into the trauma of war and forces her to make impossible moral choices.
The film’s clever use of the "screenlife" format (where the entire story is told via a computer screen) is among the best in recent memory. While often used in horror, here it's deployed to chilling, dramatic effect. Between news clips, chats, video calls, and web searches, it feels like you're the one operating the laptop—a style that recalls FMV (full-motion video) games and creates a powerful sense of immersion.
Despite the heavy themes, Stay Online is never gratuitous or graphic. It explores grief, fear, and resilience with restraint and humanity, making it both hard-hitting and accessible. This would be a phenomenal addition to a film series about the Ukraine-Russia war, especially for high school or college audiences ready to engage critically with modern conflict through a personal lens.
Highly recommended for library collections focused on contemporary international cinema, digital storytelling formats, or real-world current events. Stay Online is as inventive as it is emotionally resonant—a standout entry in the emerging canon of modern wartime cinema. Highly Recommend.
What kind of film collection should include Stay Online, a film about the Ukraine-Russia conflict?
Stay Online is an essential addition to collections focusing on contemporary Eastern European cinema, digital storytelling formats, and international perspectives on modern warfare. Public and academic libraries building robust holdings around the Ukraine-Russia war will find this title a timely and deeply affecting resource.
What academic subjects would the film Stay Online be suitable for?
Stay Online is ideal for university-level courses in Media Studies, Contemporary European Politics, Film and Digital Storytelling, Conflict Journalism, and Eastern European Studies. Its use of real-world media, digital interfaces, and personal storytelling provides rich material for discussions on the intersection of war, technology, and civilian experience. It’s also appropriate for upper-level high school social studies or global history units seeking an accessible perspectives on current events.