Dark, timely satire

Rating: 8/10 (9 March 2018)

The Death of Stalin is one of the best political satires I've seen in years.
Iannucci, at the top of his game, creates parallels between Stalin's totalitarian regime and present Russia (cult of personality, Putinism), as well as the actions of Trump administration. The appearance of -previously persecuted- Orthodox bishops at Stalin's funeral offers a brief glimpse into the country's future. The slowly changing attitude towards them, let alone the Central Committee members' eagerness to promote liberal reforms, proves that ideologies are just a disguice for political opportunism. That said, the central characters of the story are the epitome of pragmatic cynicism.
Steve Buscemi is great. Jason Isaacs is a scene stealer. Simon Russell Beale is the MVP: His portrayal of the NKVD head, Lavrentiy Beria, who is a dangerous sociopath (his awful actions are extremely hard to digest) with an everlasting desire for political power, is nothing sort of spectacular.
The pacing is top notch. Comic timing does wonders; no doubt Iannucci has an unique sardonic sense of humor. The movie is absolutely hilarious and shocking at the same time. In a nutshell, "The Death of Stalin" is as good as a dark political satire can go.