Overview
In a world where power is a deadly game, chaos reigns after a dictator's sudden demise.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- witty
- sardonic
- bleak
- political discussion night
- dark comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly acclaimed the film's scabrous political humor, ruthless ensemble performances, and sharply relevant dissection of authoritarian power.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The ministers respond to Stalin's collapse through frantic procedural maneuvering, competing agendas, and grotesque bureaucratic improvisation.
Rapid comic exchanges and humiliating power games unfold alongside executions, intimidation, and fear under Stalinist rule.
Stalin's death leaves Beria, Khrushchev, Malenkov, and their allies scrambling to control the state and eliminate rivals.
The film presents Stalin and his senior officials as frightened, petty, and physically vulnerable rather than imposing political icons.
Films like The Death of Stalin, and why
In the Loop
Shares savage political satire, institutional absurdity, rapid-fire dialogue, and a darkly comic view of power struggles.
Look Who's Back
Shares historical authoritarianism, bureaucratic panic, black comedy, and performers turning political violence into mordant farce.
The Lives of Others
Shares claustrophobic political maneuvering, ruthless power competition, and bleak comic treatment of authoritarian systems.
To Be or Not to Be
Shares historical political satire, grotesque authoritarian spectacle, and humor sharpened by mass violence and ideological fanaticism.
Movie Details
- Director
- Armando Iannucci
- Release Date
- 2017-10-20
- Runtime
- 107 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (2243)
Cast
- Steve Buscemi
- Simon Russell Beale
- Jeffrey Tambor
- Jason Isaacs
- Michael Palin
- Rupert Friend
- Andrea Riseborough
- Dermot Crowley
- Paul Whitehouse
- Paul Chahidi
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now
- Rent
- JustWatch TV, 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 Death of Stalin about?
- A ferociously funny political farce turns Stalin's sudden death into a vicious scramble for survival and control.
- What is The Death of Stalin like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Death of Stalin as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Death of Stalin violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Death of Stalin as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Death of Stalin?
- Critics broadly acclaimed the film's scabrous political humor, ruthless ensemble performances, and sharply relevant dissection of authoritarian power.
- Which films are like The Death of Stalin?
- Films with a similar feel include In the Loop, Look Who's Back, The Lives of Others, and To Be or Not to Be.
- How long is The Death of Stalin?
- The Death of Stalin runs 107 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Death of Stalin?
- In United States, The Death of Stalin streams on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now.
