Without the humour, it would've been still been a great historical drama; with it, it's a downright fantastic, satirical one.

Rating: 7/10 (3 July 2018)

There are some genuine laughs to be had when this historical satire leans into its farcical, sometimes slightly absurdist, nature or allows the incompetent clambers and random observations of its characters to pierce through its striking period-accuracy but 'The Death Of Stalin (2017)' is also a pretty dark picture that paints a detailed vision of back-stabbing, blood-shed and brutality under the guise of a political party aiming to clean-up after one of history's most ruthless dictators. It's a scenario that seems scarily close to home - despite the many years since its occurrence - and proves that horror and comedy aren't all that far apart. It is precisely because the piece renders its very real events so very realistically - only taking significant liberties in the way it condenses the narrative - that it works so well. Even without the humour, this would've been a brilliant historical drama. With it, however, it's elevated to a new level, one that allows it to be easily accessed by all and makes its most dire of moments slightly more digestible while also lampooning the decisions and mindsets behind them, which are both often incredibly hypocritical and counter-intuitive. It's surprising that nobody has made a flick about this period of history before, as it is so thematically rich and ripe with drama. The fact that it has been given the subtle, satirical and intelligent treatment it has makes it all the more engaging and, surprisingly, entertaining, despite the weight that comes with knowing pretty much all of it actually happened. 7/10