Review of The Death of Stalin (2017) by Mrscallops — 19 Jun 2019

There's a lot of things bothering me about this film: it feels in part like a messed-up play, in part like a hastily made documentary; it's all over the place story-wise and the main idea doesn't really stay interesting all the way to the end. That being said, it does feature an amazing cast in very fitting roles - I have to give particular nods to Steve Buscemi, comedy legend Michael Palin and Jason Isaacs.

The comedy in this movie comes form the way how it essentially criticizes the Soviet Union by exaggerating things. It never goes too far though; there is a sense of realism present all the time. Some moments become very hilarious though, and all of the actors have great comedic timing. The story is paper thin but still manages to complicate things and, unfortunately, the steam runs out halfway through. After that you just sit there, waiting for it all to end.