An eccentric, comic shocker about the iron-fisted Soviet ruler who racked up countless crimes against humanity, and his world of ashes and blood. When he falls ill and hovers near death, his toadies—Khrushchev among them—scurry around, organizing his funeral and engaging in a theatre of sycophancy, each to suit their own ambitions and needs. USA/UK, 2017, 107 minutes, rated R
“The Death of Stalin is by turns entertaining and unsettling, with laughs that morph into gasps and uneasy gasps that erupt into queasy, choking laughs.” – Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
“A unique and hilarious British Comedy.” – Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
“Iannucci did not intend The Death of Stalin to be a direct commentary on the Trump presidency, and it should not be taken as one. But as they say: First time tragedy, second time farce. Here’s hoping it stays that way.” – Christopher Orr, The Atlantic
“The Death of Stalin is a broad but pointed political satire in the tradition of Duck Soup, The Great Dictator, Dr. Strangelove, The Candidate and Wag the Dog, to name just a few, and by banning the film in 2018, the culture ministry of Russia couldn’t have made a more convincing case for why the world needs to see it.” – Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times
