In September 2017, Isaacs played Field Marshal Georgy Zhukov in "The Death of Stalin", a political satire and dark comedy film directed by Armando Ianucci. The film depicts the internal social and political power struggle among the Council of Ministers following the death of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in 1953. Isaacs starred alongside Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Jeffrey Tambor, Andrea Riseborough, and Michael Palin. The film was a controversial yet critical success and Isaacs' performance earned him critical praise. For his performance he earned a Evening Standard British Film Awards nomination for Best Supporting Actor losing to his co-star Simon Russell Beale.