The Wizard of the Kremlin

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  • Trailer 1

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
Olivier Assayas' 'The Wizard of Kremlin' has audiences divided between admiration for Jude Law's Putin portrayal and frustration with what many describe as a 'Wikipedia entry turned into a 2.5-hour film.' Critics praise Law's physical transformation and mimicry but slam the lifeless execution, with one reviewer memorably describing Paul Dano's performance as 'reading an Arte documentary script for Audible.'
Top Mentions
Wikipedia-Cinema
Putin-Portrait
Sluggish-Pacing
Wasted-Potential
Historical-Slog
Arthouse-Misfire
Summary generated from the text of Atom User reviews

Letterboxd User Reviews

2.7
43.4K
9.7K
5.0K
RATINGS 11 FANS
2.7

Queue Community Reviews

59%
Community 358
❤️ LOVE
11%
👍 LIKE
48%
😐 MEH
32%
👎 DISLIKE
10%
Top Reviews

Atom Users Reviews

2.5
0
1
0
0
1
POPULAR TAGS

Reviews

Metacritic

40
Sep 10, 2025

A prototypical example of talking, ceaselessly and crudely, at the audience.

Nick Schager
The Daily Beast
60
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
100
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.

Metacritic review by Bilge Ebiri
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).