Synopsis
When dictator Joseph Stalin dies, his parasitic cronies square off in a frantic power struggle to become the next Soviet leader. 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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Cast
- Steve BuscemiNikita Khrushchev
- Simon Russell BealeLavrenti Beria
- Jeffrey TamborGeorgy Malenkov
- Dermot CrowleyLazar Kaganovich
- Michael PalinVyacheslav Molotov
- Paul WhitehouseAnastas Mikoyan
- Paul ChahidiNicolai Bulganin
- Andrea RiseboroughSvetlana Stalin
- Adrian McLoughlinJosef Stalin
- Jason IsaacsField Marshal Zhukov
Recommendations
- 100
Empire
Iannucci’s brand of political satire is applied to one of the darkest chapters in modern history, with sensational results. The Lives Of Others with laughs, it’s farcical, frightening and a timely reminder that things could always be worse. - 100
The Guardian
The Death Of Stalin is superbly cast, and acted with icy and ruthless force by an A-list lineup. There are no weak links. Each has a plum role; each squeezes every gorgeous horrible drop. - 100
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
There is one thing that power can’t stand, and that is to be mocked: The social importance of this topical romp should not be underestimated. - 91
IndieWire
It’s “Veep” in the Soviet Union, a welcome expansion of Iannucci’s canvas that keeps his savage comedy intact. - 90
Vox
The Death of Stalin is Iannucci’s most complex and almost nihilistic rendering of what politics is: A team of bumbling and weak-minded people who lack any real conviction other than a desire for power and position. - 83
The A.V. Club
The Death Of Stalin isn’t quite as pointed or rat-a-tat funny as In The Loop (or Veep at its best), but its application of [Iannucci's] signature barbed comic voice to such grim history (executions are a constant source of gallows humor) packs its own punch. - 83
The Playlist
The Death Of Stalin is a grim reminder that we are never too far away from history turning back on progress. It’s not an easy lesson to reconcile, but Iannucci at least has us laughing for a good while before delivering his devastating blow. - 80
The Hollywood Reporter
Though not as stuffed with rapid-fire laughs as In the Loop...this makes a very fine sophomore outing.
