Is The Death of Stalin Worth Watching?
The Death of Stalin is a dark comedy centering around the bumbling nature of Joseph Stalin’s potential successors in the Soviet Union. The entire tone of the film hinges on maintaining a light-hearted telling of truly horrific events. Right from the start, we’re introduced to two radio operators at the opera who failed to record a performance that Stalin wants to listen to. Their panic and overthinking make for a funny sequence, but underneath it’s clear that they are genuinely afraid that the slightest slip will cost them their lives. The true stars of the film are Steve Buscemi and Jeffrey Tambor who play Nikita Khrushchev and Georgy Malenkov, respectively. Their antics bring almost all the comedy that the movie needs to breath. Without it, telling this story would be almost crushingly depressing. The late addition of Jason Isaacs as Georgy Zhukov was also most welcome, as he brought a different kind of intensity to the atmosphere. All in all, I would recommend this movie… with caveats. Certainly, the entire genre of dark comedy is not for everyone. That applies here as well. Approach it with an open mind and it may surprise you.
Rating: B – Quite funny but also quite dark
Movie Title: The Death of Stalin
Release Date: October 20, 2017
Genre: Dark Comedy
Where to Watch: Netflix
Run Time: 107 Minutes
Rating: R
Director: Armando Iannucci
Starring: Steve Buscemi; Jeffrey Tambor; Jason Isaacs; Olga Kurylenko; Simon Russell Beale
Production Companies: Gaumont; Quad Productions; Main Journey; France 3 Cinema; La Cie Cinematographique; Panache Productions; AFPI; Canal+; Cine+; France Televisions; Title Media
Distributed By: Entertainment One Films; Gaumont; September Film Distribution; IFC Films
Tags: Is the Death of Stalin worth watching; Is the Death of Stalin good; Death of Stalin