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 Lavrentiy 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

Aug 27, 2018

3/4

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

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

Mar 30, 2018

4.5/5

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

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Wenlei Ma

News.com.au

Mar 30, 2018

4/5

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

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

Jun 12, 2024

9/10

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

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Apr 7, 2024

3/5

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

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Benedict Seal

Vague Visages

Dec 5, 2023

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.

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Keith B

@Okbullard Sep 16, 2026

Considering the great reviews I was expecting much more. I didn't laugh once and it tended to really drag about a third of the way through. I've always liked Steve Buscemi but casting him as Khrushchev was utterly ridiculous since Buscemi is barely a third the size of Khrushchev. Don't bother with this one.

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Juan Felipe M

@RT61134463 Sep 10, 2026

The way these unique characters interact throughout such a simple yet incredibly well-developed plot is what keeps you completely engaged—and laughing your ass off. 😂 An excellent movie!

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Dawn C

@RT87677359 Jul 7, 2026

Great cast and funny as hell.

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Raldyr H

@Raldyr May 31, 2026

If you enjoy grim humor, satire and history, definitely give this one a go.

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Matthew P. W

@worstofthewurst May 6, 2026

This is a movie I return to from time to time and I enjoy it even more with each rewatch. The casting is at once odd yet impeccably perfect. Every character is equally hilarious, with maybe the exception of Jason Isaacs as Zhukov who steals the show... though it seems he is set up to do so. The writing is so tight and effective but gives each actor the space to make the character their own. Every single thing that happens in this film, second to second, is hilarious - I mean really, truly hilarious. Armando Ianucci is clearly a genius. Even if you know nothing of history, even if you don't know that all of this outlandish stuff happened (with a compressed timeline in the film, understandably and effectively) - as a work of fiction it is incredible. As a work based on a true story, it is remarkable.

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Safiullah C.

@RT90033158 Apr 20, 2026

Impeccable cult classic.

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Armando Iannucci

Director

Steve Buscemi

Nikita Khrushchev

Simon Russell Beale

Lavrentiy Beria

Jeffrey Tambor

Georgy Malenkov

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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 Lavrentiy 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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