The Death of Stalin (2018)
88%RT Audience Score: 78%
Awards & Nominations: 18 wins & 40 nominations total
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
The Death of Stalin” is a hilarious and absurdly smart film that will have you laughing out loud. The politicians’ attempts to feign grief about Stalin’s death while secretly delighted is a running gag that highlights the absurdity of communism. The film is both frightening and funny at the same time, and the strong comic performances make it an audacious reimagining of history. It’s mind-bendingly clever and completely silly, making it a must-watch for anyone who loves a good political satire. Plus, with Python emeritus Michael Palin in the cast, it’s got a Python-ian flavor that will have you quoting lines for days.
Production Company(ies)
Backup Media, Big Farm Broadcasting Authority of Ireland
Distributor
IFC Films
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Olesya Honchara 45b, Kyiv, Ukraine
MPAA / Certificate
rated R for language throughout, violence and some sexual references
Year of Release
2018
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 47m
-
Language(s):English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 9, 2018 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 11, 2018
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
The Death of Stalin, Comedy, 1h 47m, directed by Armando Iannucci, written by Armando Iannucci, David Schneider, Ian Martin, produced by Nicolas Duval-Adassovsky, Kevin Loader, Laurent Zeitoun, Yann Zenou, starring Steve Buscemi, Andrea Riseborough, Simon Russell Beale, Rupert Friend, Jason Isaacs, Jeffrey Tambor, R-rated, box office gross $8.0M, reviewed by Robert Daniels, Sandra Hall, Wenlei Ma, Adam Graham, David Stratton, Chris Vognar, Daniel Howat, Brian Eggert, Mark Jackson, Olly Richards, Richard Crouse,
Worldwide gross: $24,646,055
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $29,002,831
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,556
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 3,162,795
US/Canada gross: $8,047,856
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $9,470,506
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,628
US/Canada opening weekend: $184,805
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $217,474
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,639
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $13,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $15,298,059
Production budget ranking: 1,503
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $8,238,005
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $5,466,767
ROI to date (est.): 23%
ROI ranking: 1,276
Andrea Riseborough – Svetlana Stalin
Simon Russell Beale – Lavrentiy Beria
Rupert Friend – Vasily Stalin
Jason Isaacs – Georgy Zhukov
Jeffrey Tambor – Georgy Malenkov
Director(s)
Armando Iannucci
Writer(s)
Armando Iannucci, David Schneider, Ian Martin
Producer(s)
Nicolas Duval-Adassovsky, Kevin Loader, Laurent Zeitoun, Yann Zenou
Film Festivals
Sundance, Cannes, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
18 wins & 40 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (251) | Top Critics (64) | Fresh (238) | Rotten (13)
The Death of Stalin is not only unexpected, but sharp, witty, and effectively spurious.
August 27, 2018 | Rating: 3/4
Robert Daniels
812filmreviews
TOP CRITIC
A devastatingly funny dissection of power politics, stripping the mystique from it and those who worship it. Iannucci has done it again.
March 30, 2018 | Rating: 4.5/5
Sandra Hall
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
The Death of Stalin is signature Iannucci – absurd set-ups leading to even more outrageous ends via the spitefully delicious cadence of his dialogue.
March 30, 2018 | Rating: 4/5
Wenlei Ma
News.com.au
TOP CRITIC
“The Death of Stalin” is a deep farce, but it is rooted in enough political reality that it hardly feels sensationalized. And given the current state of politics, it’s as on-point as a breaking news alert.
March 23, 2018 | Rating: A-
Adam Graham
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
While much of this is certainly hilarious, there are also scenes that drag.
March 23, 2018 | Rating: 3.5/5
David Stratton
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
The Death of Stalin is actually a lot like Veep, except with gulags and executions.
March 22, 2018 | Rating: A-
Chris Vognar
Dallas Morning News
TOP CRITIC
This is what great satires do: make us laugh while giving us glimpses of our own reality. The Death Of Stalin is a truly funny and absurdly smart film.
May 19, 2022 | Rating: 7/10
Daniel Howat
Next Best Picture
The brilliance of Iannucci’s limber tonal shifts is that he can switch between them in an instant, keeping a sharp audience on edge, while never losing our investment in the film.
March 14, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Politicians bumbling attempts to feign grief about Stalin’s death while secretly delighted, functions as a running gag with a Python-ian flavor (heightened by Python emeritus Michael Palin in the cast) and thereby highlighting the absurdity of communism.
August 5, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Mark Jackson
Epoch Times
It’s as mind-bendingly clever as it is completely silly.
April 23, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Olly Richards
NME
An audacious reimagining of history. Strong comic performances are highlighted in a film that is both frightening and funny at the same time.
March 4, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
Richard Crouse
Richard Crouse
The Death of Stalin is a fatally ill-conceived “black comedy” … The film is not so much maliciously anticommunist as it is, above all, historically clueless.
February 11, 2021
David Walsh
World Socialist Web Site…
Plot
In early-1953 Moscow, under the Great Terror’s heavy cloak of state paranoia, the ever-watchful Soviet leader, Iosif Stalin, collapses unexpectedly of a brain haemorrhage. As a result, when someone discovers his body the following morning, a frenetic surge of raw panic starts spreading like a virus among the senior members of the Council of Ministers, as they scramble to maintain order, weed out the competition, and ultimately take power. But in the middle of a gut-wrenching rollercoaster of incessant plotting, tireless machinations, and frail allegiances, absolutely no one is safe; not even the feared chief of the secret police, Lavrenti Beria. In the end, who will prevail after the death of Stalin?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of The Death of Stalin delivers “excellent performances” according to an audience review on Fresh Kernels.
Armando-Iannucci.jpg
