The Death of Stalin

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The Death of Stalin

R

2018

1h 47m

Comedy

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

254 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

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

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Marc Z.

What a usual and pleasant surprise. The Death of Stalin is somewhere between a comedy and historical drama. I am not sure how much of it is accurate but it is well worth watching. Any feelings I had about Russia In the post WWII era and into the Cold War were reinforced by this movie. The script and Direction are so sharp. The cast is abundant and play it well. The costume design and cinematography are good. Steve Buscemi is a surprise as Khrushchev. Watch this movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/15/25

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Joshua C.

This movie is a masterpiece. I loved it soo much i searched for any other movie remotely similar and watched those too. I would love a National socialist Germany version with my boy AH !!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/15/25

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Mike P

The Death of Stalin resonates with such hilarity because it actualizes what we all think must be happening behind the scenes in any power grab. Prepare to think, laugh and enjoy.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/09/25

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Ben C

Remarkably well done all around. Blending comedy with incredibly dark events almost always fails, but this movie toes the line spectacularly, delivering an amazing rendition of the death of Stalin and the following events. An absolute must watch for anyone who values political histories.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/07/25

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John D.

About as dry of a dry comedy as you can have. Like paint drying dry. I get the jokes, and I recognize that they’re there, and even found a bunch generally funny, but it is not a laugh out loud funny in any way. It’s like a laugh internally type funny. I mean I get why people call it smart, witty, etc, but it was really just slow and boring to me.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/02/25

Full Review

Matt S.

What is it? Comedy? Tragedy? Neither, really.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/24/25

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

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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: Main Journey, Quad Productions, Gaumont, Panache Productions, AFPI, France 3 Cinéma, 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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