The Death of Stalin

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The Death of Stalin

R

Released Mar 9, 2018

1h 47m

Comedy

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

255 Reviews

79%

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5,000+ Ratings

When tyrannical dictator Joseph Stalin dies in 1953, his parasitic cronies square off in a frantic power struggle to become the next Soviet leader. Among the contenders are the dweebish Georgy Malenkov, the wily Nikita Khrushchev and Lavrenti Beria -- the sadistic secret police chief. As they bumble, brawl and back-stab their way to the top, the question remains -- just who is running the government?

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Critics Consensus

The Death of Stalin finds director/co-writer Arnando Iannucci in riotous form, bringing his scabrous political humor to bear on a chapter in history with painfully timely parallels.

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Robert Daniels

812filmreviews

The Death of Stalin is not only unexpected, but sharp, witty, and effectively spurious.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 27, 2018

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

A devastatingly funny dissection of power politics, stripping the mystique from it and those who worship it. Iannucci has done it again.

Rated: 4.5/5

Mar 30, 2018

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Wenlei Ma

News.com.au

The Death of Stalin is signature Iannucci - absurd set-ups leading to even more outrageous ends via the spitefully delicious cadence of his dialogue.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 30, 2018

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

It all feels very bleak, and appalling, and horrifically absurd. The effect is absolutely superb.

Rated: 9/10

Jun 12, 2024

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

The Death of Stalin is its own firing squad armed with a specialized brand of heinous hilarity.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 7, 2024

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Benedict Seal

Vague Visages

In the end, the humor fades away in favor of political machinations, but the film's killer gags are still numerable. Watching them delivered by expert performers is The Death of Stalin's primary pleasure.

Dec 5, 2023

Full Review

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Kevin P

Terrific dark comedy that expertly blends sharp satire with tense political thrills. The cast is excellent, with standout performances from Steve Buscemi, Michael Palin, Simon Russel Beale, Jeffrey Tambor, and Jason Isaacs. The cinematography was engaging the fast-paced editing gave the movie a streamlined flow. The lack of Russian accents is odd, but intentionally amusing. The frequent fast-paced background jokes involving all the corrupt executions was icing on the cake. The script is very clever and tight, building up to a momentous struggle for power between all the figureheads. This political farce felt like it came right out of Monty Python or The Three Stooges.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/25

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Audience Member

Absolutely one of the top 10 comedies of ALL TIME! Every time you watch it, it gets better—just brilliant.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/18/25

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Joshua P

Probably one of my favourite movies of all time, seen it more times than I can even count. Tells the story of the power struggle after Josef Stalin's death in an amazingly funny way. Completely stacked cast of comedians, amazingly well written, just a hilarious and perfect movie. My favourite ending ever, up there with Gangs of New York and Fight Club.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/01/25

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Jonesy W

Went in knowing and expecting nothing and got rewarded with a absolute gem. Great acting, script and storyline, equally witty and dark. Well worth watching.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/17/24

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My Profile Picture Is Slightly Off Center C

Perfect blend of comedy and historical accuracy.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/15/24

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Conrad H

This movie is great, it's incredibly funny and just a joy to watch, I would say everyone is cast well, although some of the casting choice don't exactly look like there historical counterparts but that can be looked passed without problem ,overall a fantastic film.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/13/24

Full Review

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Armando Iannucci

Director

Steve Buscemi

Nikita Khrushchev

Simon Russell Beale

Lavrentiy Beria

Jeffrey Tambor

Georgy Malenkov

Paddy Considine

Comrade Andryev

Rupert Friend

Vasily Stalin

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The Death of Stalin: Trailer 1

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The Death of Stalin: Teaser Trailer 1

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The Death of Stalin: International Trailer 2

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The Death of Stalin: International Trailer 1

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Synopsis

When tyrannical dictator Joseph Stalin dies in 1953, his parasitic cronies square off in a frantic power struggle to become the next Soviet leader. Among the contenders are the dweebish Georgy Malenkov, the wily Nikita Khrushchev and Lavrenti Beria -- the sadistic secret police chief. As they bumble, brawl and back-stab their way to the top, the question remains -- just who is running the government?

Director: Armando Iannucci
Producer: Yann Zenou, Laurent Zeitoun, Nicolas Duval-Adassovsky, Kevin Loader
Screenwriter: Armando Iannucci, David Schneider, Ian Martin
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Panache Productions, France 3 Cinéma, Quad Productions, Gaumont, AFPI, Main Journey, La Compagnie Cinématographique
Rating: R (Some Sexual References|Language Throughout|Violence)
Genre: Comedy, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 9, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 11, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $8.0M
Runtime: 1h 47m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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