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Checkpoint Zoo

Checkpoint Zoo

2024103 minMidcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Director
Joshua Zeman

Checkpoint Zoo documents a daring rescue led by a heroic team of zookeepers and volunteers, who risked their lives to save thousands of animals trapped in a zoo behind enemy lines in the Russian Invasion of Ukraine.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Checkpoint Zoo?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Checkpoint Zoo to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Checkpoint Zoo?

Checkpoint Zoo earns 4 badges, led by Top 10% of films and Loved with Detractors.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Checkpoint Zoo worth watching?

Checkpoint Zoo's Midcredits score is the 92nd percentile of all films, from 608 ratings across 3 sources. 75% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

92nd percentile

Better received than 92% of films

81st percentile among Documentary92nd percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)95th
Approval (how many liked it)85th

78 /100

95th percentile of all films

85th percentile among Documentary93rd percentile among 2020s

Rating distribution

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

75% liked it

85th percentile of all films

69th percentile among Documentary85th percentile among 2020s
75% rated it 7–1025% rated it 1–6

Critics 100%

The Rotten Tomatoes critic score.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 2 wins / 1 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

36th percentile

608 ratings across platforms

64th percentile among Documentary36th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 30% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A deeply compassionate story of volunteers risking their lives to rescue zoo animals amid the war in Ukraine, told with raw, immersive footage.

Fans praised

  • heart-shredding yet hopeful portrait of wartime animal rescue
  • guerrilla-style footage and editing convey real peril and urgency
  • heroic volunteers' selfless sacrifices told with love and humor

Detractors panned

  • disjointed, chaotic editing that prevents a coherent narrative
  • raw cell phone and GoPro footage becomes a crutch, undercutting tension
  • manipulative tone that exploits audience empathy instead of earning it

What stands out

Emotional impactDivisive70

heart-shredding for fans, manipulative and hollow for detractors

Sound and music70

Anne Nikitin's score creates searing, immersive atmosphere

AtmosphereDivisive65

searing immersion via score and on-the-ground reality, but critiqued as overwhelming

CharactersDivisive65

heroic volunteers are vivid archetypes, but detractors find them underdeveloped

CinematographyDivisive62

raw guerrilla-style footage captures chaos but is criticized as shaky and crutch-like

OriginalityDivisive60

fresh perspective on war through animal rescue, but execution seen as derivative

PacingDivisive40

careens between harrowing moments without building emotional arc

Watch experience

What is Checkpoint Zoo like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want an easy night.

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

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseHopefulMelancholic
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of filmsWarm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its harrowing subject with gravity and sincerity, using raw footage to convey the real danger, but includes scattered humorous moments to provide relief.
The rideThe documentary sustains high tension and emotional weight from the invasion to the rescue, with moments of relief but never letting the pressure drop.
StructureThe synopsis and reviews indicate a chronological telling of the rescue mission, with a beginning (the invasion), middle (the rescue efforts), and end (evacuation).

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

Hopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves the viewer devastated by the suffering of animals and the horrors of war, yet uplifted by the selfless heroism of the rescuers.
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).
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%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · 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% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThe film is a documentary that documents a real rescue effort; it has no fictional plot archetype.

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% (this title) · 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% (this title) · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Survival

SurvivalSacrifice · 4% of filmsHope · 5% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film focuses on the physical survival of thousands of zoo animals trapped in a war zone and the moral determination of the people who risk their own lives to save them.
StanceThe film celebrates the bravery and selflessness of the rescuers and the human-animal bond, positioning them as heroes against the backdrop of war.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalRuralWildernessRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Anne Nikitin
SettingFeldman Ecopark zoo in eastern Ukraine during the Russian invasion
MusicThe score underscores the emotional stakes without overpowering the documentary realism.

Cast and crew

Who is in Checkpoint Zoo?

Crew

Directed by

Joshua Zeman

Written by

Daniel LonsburyJoshua Zeman

Cinematography

Nelson HumeOlivier Sarbil

Edited by

Cy Christiansen, Andrew Ford, Daniel Lonsbury, Ian Grech, Kelly Kendrick

Music by

Anne Nikitin

Produced by

Leonardo DiCaprio, Torquil Jones, Ian Davies, Jennifer Davidson, Oleksiy Slobodskyy, Emma Masdeu-Perez
+12 more, Maricela Olivo, Zachary Mortensen, Barry Smith, Shawn Singh, Phillip Watson, Caitlin Colford, Bonamy Grimes, Catherine Quantschnigg, Adrianne Owings, Joshua Zeman, John McKenna, Gabriel Clarke

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