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Bitter Harvest

Bitter Harvest

2017103 minRMidcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Director
George Mendeluk
Starring
Samantha Barks, Tamer Hassan, Aneurin Barnard, Tom Austen

Set between the two World Wars and based on true historical events, Bitter Harvest conveys the untold story of the Holodomor, the genocidal famine engineered by the tyrant Joseph Stalin. The film displays a powerful tale of love, honour, rebellion and survival at a time when Ukraine was forced to adjust to the horrifying territorial ambitions of the burgeoning Soviet Union.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Bitter Harvest?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Bitter Harvest streaming on MovieSphere+ via Prime Video, Prime Video (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Bitter Harvest?

Bitter Harvest earns 5 badges, led by Cult Classic and Guilty pleasure.

  • Reception
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Bitter Harvest worth watching?

Bitter Harvest's Midcredits score is the 47th percentile of all films, from 5.6K ratings across 6 sources. 52% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

47th percentile

Better received than 47% of films

44th percentile among Drama47th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)38th
Approval (how many liked it)55th

58 /100

38th percentile of all films

35th percentile among Drama39th percentile among 2010s

Critics 34 · Audience 60

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

52% liked it

55th percentile of all films

54th percentile among Drama55th percentile among 2010s
52% rated it 7–1048% rated it 1–6

Critics 15% · Audience 67%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 5 noms overall

81st percentile

5.5K ratings across platforms

84th percentile among Drama83rd percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 27% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$30M
Opening weekend$219K
Domestic gross$557K
Worldwide gross$904K

Returned 0.0× its budget — 59th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film tries to cover too much history while using a love story as its frame, but neither camp finds the balance successful.

Fans praised

  • raises awareness of unknown genocide
  • visual beauty of Ukrainian landscapes and cinematography
  • decent performances with some standout actors

Detractors panned

  • heavy-handed melodrama trivializes real horror
  • wooden acting and caricature villains
  • inauthentic period detail and clean-faced actors

What stands out

CinematographyDivisive65

beautiful landscapes but over-lit and TV-movie feel

ActingDivisive40

wooden leads, caricature Stalin, some praise for Terence Stamp

Atmosphere40

fails to convey scope of horror, too sanitized

OriginalityDivisive35

first feature on Holodomor but formulaic execution

CharactersDivisive30

broad stereotypes and poorly written love story

Plot and story30

overambitious, unfocused, tries to cover too much history

Emotional impactDivisive30

melodrama undercuts genuine tragedy

Dialogue25

laughable and clichéd

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 13 points higher than men.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Bitter Harvest like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseMelancholicRomantic
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Melodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats the Holodomor with gravity but often lapses into melodramatic and sentimental storytelling.
The rideThe film sustains a pervasive sense of dread and sorrow as the famine intensifies, with moments of tenderness contrasting the horror.
StructureThe film unfolds chronologically from childhood through the famine to escape, following a conventional narrative structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's depiction of the Holodomor lingers as a historical reminder, despite the flawed storytelling, leaving viewers unsettled and questioning why this genocide is less known.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).QuestRescue
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10% (this title): Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% (this title) · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Quest: A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles. · Rescue: Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).

10% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeYuri's mission to save Natalka from the Holodomor drives the story as a rescue quest, framed within a historically accurate genocide.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSurvival
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15% (this title): Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

Survival
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on the struggle for physical and emotional survival against state-imposed starvation, intertwined with resistance and a love story that provides hope.
StanceThe film mourns the victims of the Holodomor, centering on Yuri's personal struggle while the larger tragedy looms.

The world

Early 20th centuryRuralRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Benjamin Wallfisch
Setting1930s Ukraine during the Holodomor
MusicThe score aims to evoke the period and emotional weight of the story.

Content guide

Is Bitter Harvest okay for kids?

R

Bitter Harvest is rated R: “Rated R for violence and disturbing images” (MPAA). As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (67/100), sexual content at moderate (38/100), language at minimal (0/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (0/100) and frightening material at intense (67/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 4 other countries
  • UK15
  • CanadaR
  • Germany16
  • Ireland15
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Intense
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (7 votes)
Profanity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Frightening / Intense
Intense
too few votes to rank (2 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (14 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Bitter Harvest have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Bitter Harvest?

Cast

Samantha Barks
as Natalka
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Tamer Hassan
as Sergei
Aneurin Barnard
as Mykola
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Tom Austen
as Taras
Richard Brake
as Medved
William Beck
as Stefan
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Lucy Brown
as Olena
Edward Akrout
as Professor Temchuck
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Richard Ashton
as Father Ostapovich
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Paul Hickey
as Lazar Kaganovich

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Bitter Harvest?

Movies like Bitter Harvest include Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951) and Mr. Jones (2019). Of the 12 closest matches, half are war films, and several are melodramas.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its story type: period drama. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Bitter Harvest?

2.4K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: soulmates separated. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.