The Death of Stalin | Rotten Tomatoes (2025)

95% Tomatometer 255 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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Critics Reviews

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The Death of Stalin | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Robert Daniels 812filmreviews The Death of Stalin is not only unexpected, but sharp, witty, and effectively spurious. Rated: 3/4 Aug 27, 2018 Full Review The Death of Stalin | Rotten Tomatoes (2) 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 Full Review The Death of Stalin | Rotten Tomatoes (3) 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 Full Review The Death of Stalin | Rotten Tomatoes (4) 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 Full Review The Death of Stalin | Rotten Tomatoes (5) 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 Full Review The Death of Stalin | Rotten Tomatoes (6) 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 Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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BJean J Not a successful movie of any genre on any level. It seemed to be going for farce. Honestly, eighth graders could have made a better film. Very badly cast with unknown actors and a terrible script. Don't waste your time on this. Rated 0.5/5 Stars • Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/11/25 Full Review kieran v FIELD MARSHAL ZHUKOV Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/10/25 Full Review connor j The Death Of Stalin is a brilliant and witty film which covers the events following the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953 and the rise of Nikita Khrushchev as the leader of the Soviet Union.This film is one to watch with a star studded cast that explores one of history's most pivotal moments regarding the USSR.The injection of comedy into this mix was very much apricated and although you won't be crying with laughter you definitely will have a good laugh. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/07/25 Full Review Mr G Absolute garbage no idea why anyone would rate this higher than 1/5. Rated 1/5 Stars • Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/05/25 Full Review Kururu R The movie is an absolute masterpiece of writing and acting if you are from Eastern Europe, an excellent movie if you are familiar with the subject matter, and a pretty damned good comedy if you are not. For better effect if you are from the latter two categories, I suggest finding an Eastern European friend (that don't still remain full blown red, though those aren't too likely to be found, thankfully) and watch it with them. For maximal enjoyment, find someone, or someone's s parents who actually went through the Communist regime, and haven't yet seen the movie. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/28/25 Full Review Nikoloz T I enjoyed the movie, but it felt like there wasn’t a real quest or strong conflict driving the story. It kind of just moved along and then the problem was solved without much tension. There were a few funny moments, but I think it could’ve been more. Also, some of the characters could’ve had better development. In conclusion, it was entertaining, but it felt like something was missing for me. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/14/25 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

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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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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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