The Wizard of the Kremlin
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- Trailer 1 (01:56)
Movie Info & Cast
Synopsis
In the chaos of post-Soviet Russia, a brilliant young outsider, Vadim Baranov (Dano), rises from artist to master political strategist, becoming the spin doctor to a rising KGB officer: Vladimir Putin (Law). As Baranov helps shape a new Russia blurring the boundaries between truth and lies, belief and manipulation, only the magnetic Ksenia (Vikander) is beyond his control, tempting him away from this dangerous game.
Cast
- Alicia Vikander
- Jude Law
- Paul Dano
- Jeffrey Wright
- Tom Sturridge
- Will Keen
- Dan Cade
- Matthew Baunsgard
- Anastasia Sutter
- Andrei Zayats
Moviegoers are saying
Critics are brutally divided on this Putin biopic, with many calling it a 'pure cinema hell' that reads like a Wikipedia entry brought to life. While Jude Law's Putin transformation earns praise, the film drowns in its 2.5-hour runtime of boardroom meetings and exposition-heavy dialogue that treats audiences 'like idiots.'
Top Mentions
Summary generated from the text of Atom User reviews
Letterboxd User Reviews
2.7
40.2K
9.2K
4.6K
- Aug 31, 2025
Vladmir Putin being explained what Daft Punk is was truly the highlight of the movie
Lucas VidalSep 5, 2025You know you're attending a film festival when the Disney+ logo causes the entire movie theatre to gasp in horror rather than have MCU fans cheer in excitement.
QuintinJan 21, 2026Première grosse catastrophe de 2026 avec Le Mage du Kremlin, un pur enfer de cinéma. Typiquement le film wikipedia qui te raconte tout à haute voix : l'histoire, les émotions des personnages et les enjeux pour essayer de faire passer cette fiction débile pro-russe pour un…
Regelegorila - Jan 24, 2026
Bonjour, je suis Paul Dano et je vais vous lire le script d’un reportage Arte sur le Kremlin pour Audible
medbangerAug 31, 2025Never thought the Disney+ logo would be a bigger jumpscare than a pistol shot to the head. But here we are.
movietomovieJan 21, 2026Mais où trouve-t-il toute cette énergie ?????????????????
Ju' 🪼 - Aug 31, 2025
There’s nothing exactly wrong with it. The film drifts along, dutifully, through its literary source — a polished recitation of Putin’s rise that could have been lifted from a Wikipedia entry. Jude Law as Putin is, at least, something to see. But revelation? Zero. No point…
Patrick WJan 18, 2026Jude Law en Poutine c’est un grand oui mais c’est quoi ces transitions de con là ?
ToriAug 31, 2025too intriguing to not be considered as a project, too exciting sounding to not be considered by the audience. Assayas' take on the behind the scenes of the russian upheaval from the 90s till today is everything and nothing really. it's commendable he's trying to put so many…
shookone
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Top Reviews
- leon is "meh" onThe Wizard of the Kremlin
Habe den per Zufall geschaut (sneak peak), der war gut von dem was erzählt wurde und wie er aufgebaut war. Jedoch war das pacing doch zu langsam und ich habe bei jedem Act gehofft das seie der letze (war es nie). Dennoch war die Darstellung von Paul dano sehr überzeugend.
Louis Lutz likedThe Wizard of the KremlinEntre meh et like. Intéressant car explique les mécaniques dans une Russie qui se reconstruit après la chute de l’URSS mais ennuyant par l’acting. Peu d’émotions, de musiques et de beaux plans donc c’est dur de suivre l’histoire
Zoe likedThe Wizard of the KremlinI wish I had better knowledge of history & politics bcs I was a little lost sometimes, but otherwise it’s pretty clear in storytelling. Good movie The poster goes hard imo Them trying to make Jude Law shorter was lowkey funny
- Eye Cinc is "meh" onThe Wizard of the Kremlin
Only me could think that a movie about russian politics could be interesting... Man! This was boring as hell... excellents performances though.
sla 28 is "meh" onThe Wizard of the Kremlini had really good expectations about this but it just not it they really made putin look so passive and not clever not at all realistic
Gaia is "meh" onThe Wizard of the KremlinNoioso, tanti riferimenti a nomi e situazioni che non conosco e che non sono stati spiegati. Non vedevo l’ora finisse
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Elise Bodnyk is "meh" onThe Wizard of the KremlinLeft the theater. My own mistake for not researching the movie more closely before I went in.
carlyy lovedThe Wizard of the KremlinGirl idk I just love Paul Dano (+10 points for the black hair)
Biagio Minichini likedThe Wizard of the Kremlinfantastic film and fantastic Paul dano and jude law
Atom Users Reviews
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Reviews
- MHMargaret HoangFRFelix Ram
Metacritic
Sep 10, 2025
A prototypical example of talking, ceaselessly and crudely, at the audience.
Nick Schager
The Daily Beast
Sep 2, 2025
The performances are solid, with an excellent Jude Law all inscrutable psychopathy as a younger Vladimir Putin and Alicia Vikander the perfect embodiment of an amoral post-Soviet arrivista, and the chilly world-building works well enough, but there’s a missing ingredient – actual Russians.
Phil de Semlyen
Time Out
Sep 1, 2025
I found its thundering journey through several decades of recent Russian and world history revealing and (perhaps more importantly) enormously entertaining. And by utilizing Law’s charisma to approximate Putin’s anti-charisma, it gives us a villain who is chilling and believable. I can’t wait to see it again.
Bilge Ebiri
New York Magazine (Vulture)
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Wizard of the Kremlin (2026) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.
How long is The Wizard of the Kremlin (2026)?
The movie is 2hr 16min long.
What's The Wizard of the Kremlin (2026) about?
In the chaos of post-Soviet Russia, a brilliant young outsider, Vadim Baranov (Dano), rises from artist to master political strategist, becoming the spin doctor to a rising KGB officer: Vladimir Putin (Law). As Baranov helps shape a new Russia blurring the boundaries between truth and lies, belief and manipulation, only the magnetic Ksenia (Vikander) is beyond his control, tempting him away from this dangerous game.
Who's the cast of The Wizard of the Kremlin (2026)?
- Alicia Vikander as Ksenia
- Jude Law as Vladimir Putin
- Paul Dano as Vadim Baranov
- Jeffrey Wright as Rowland
- Tom Sturridge as Dmitri Sidorov
- Will Keen as Boris Berezovsky
- Dan Cade as Agent Johnson
- Matthew Baunsgard as Larry
- Anastasia Sutter as Putin friend
- Andrei Zayats as Igor Sechine
Who's the director behind The Wizard of the Kremlin (2026)?
Olivier Assayas directed The Wizard of the Kremlin (2026).
Who produced The Wizard of the Kremlin (2026)?
Olivier Delbosc and Sidonie Dumas produced The Wizard of the Kremlin (2026).
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