Overview
A comedic clash of cultures unfolds when a Russian submarine crew accidentally lands in a small American town.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- frantic
- irreverent
- classic movie night
- political comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an inventive, amiable, and perceptive Cold War comedy, while noting occasional overstatement and heavy-handed philosophizing.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The stranded Soviet submarine and the villagers' invasion hysteria transform Cold War fears into farce.
The submarine's accidental stranding is repeatedly misunderstood, causing rumors and increasingly frantic responses.
Lieutenant Rozanov and the Russian sailors are presented as people seeking a practical solution, not as conventional villains.
The isolated Gloucester Island village becomes the pressure chamber for rumor, paranoia, and comic mobilization.
Films like The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!, and why
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Shares escalating small-town panic, farcical misunderstandings, and anti-war satire.
The Mouse That Roared
Combines Cold War paranoia with witty ensemble comedy and ordinary people caught in international tensions.
The Ladykillers
Shares warm humanism, cross-cultural misunderstanding, and high-energy farce in the tradition of Ealing comedies.
The Man in the White Suit
Uses mistaken identity, escalating community hysteria, and political comedy to expose irrational social fear.
Movie Details
- Director
- Norman Jewison
- Release Date
- 1966-05-25
- Runtime
- 126 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (139)
Cast
- Carl Reiner
- Eva Marie Saint
- Alan Arkin
- Brian Keith
- Paul Ford
- Theodore Bikel
- Jonathan Winters
- Tessie O'Shea
- John Phillip Law
- Ben Blue
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! about?
- A stranded Soviet submarine triggers an uproarious New England invasion scare that turns Cold War paranoia into cross-cultural farce.
- What is The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! as mild.
- What did critics think of The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an inventive, amiable, and perceptive Cold War comedy, while noting occasional overstatement and heavy-handed philosophizing.
- Which films are like The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!?
- Films with a similar feel include Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, The Mouse That Roared, The Ladykillers, and The Man in the White Suit.
- How long is The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!?
- The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! runs 126 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!?
- In United States, The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
