7.2
“Power was the plan. Putin was the consequence.”
The Wizard of the Kremlin (2026)
January 21, 20262h 16mEN
6.5
119 votes
Overview
In early 1990s Russia, amid post-Soviet chaos, brilliant young Vadim Baranov charts his path. First an artist, then a reality television producer, he becomes the spin doctor to rising KGB agent Vladimir Putin. At the heart of power, Baranov shapes the new Russia, blurring the boundaries between truth and lies, belief and manipulation. Only the magnetic Ksenia is beyond his control, tempting him away from this dangerous game. Years later, after retreating into silence and shrouded in mystery, Baranov finally reveals the dark secrets of the regime he helped build.
Director
Olivier AssayasTop Billed Cast
Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
N/A
Revenue
$7.6M
Production Companies
Curiosa FilmsGaumontFrance 2 CinémaTribune PicturesLB EntertainmentJeff Rice Films
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User Reviews
CinemaSerf
6.0I suppose to be fair to Paul Dano, he does have something of the look of an apparatchik to him, but otherwise he really fails to deliver anything of the complexities or menace in this depiction of the rise of Vladimir Putin. OK, so Jude Law doesn't exactly convince in that latter role, either, but at least he does resemble his man! "Vadim" (Dano) is an aspiring film-maker of no great skill who ends up working as a television producer just as Boris Yeltsin is beginning to lose his grip. His benefactor, billionaire Boris Berezovsky (Will Keen) convinces him that the next man for the job of Presi…
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