The Wizard of the Kremlin (film)
2025 political thriller film
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The Wizard of the Kremlin (French: Le Mage du Kremlin) is a 2025 English-language French political satire film directed by Olivier Assayas, who co-wrote the screenplay with Emmanuel Carrère. It is based on the 2022 novel by Giuliano da Empoli.[2] It follows the fictional government official Vadim Baranov (Paul Dano) during the final years of the Soviet Union and the turbulent start of the Russian Federation, while a young Vladimir Putin (Jude Law) rises to power. It also stars Alicia Vikander, Will Keen, Tom Sturridge and Jeffrey Wright.
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Emmanuel Carrère
| The Wizard of the Kremlin | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| French | Le Mage du Kremlin |
| Directed by | Olivier Assayas |
| Screenplay by | Olivier Assayas Emmanuel Carrère |
| Based on | |
| Produced by | Olivier Delbosc Sidonie Dumas |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Yorick Le Saux |
| Edited by | Marion Monnier |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Gaumont |
Release dates |
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Running time | 136 minutes[1] |
| Country | France |
| Language | English |
The Wizard of the Kremlin had its world premiere in the main competition of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival on 31 August 2025, where it was nominated for the Golden Lion.[3]
Premise
Vadim Baranov morphs from a young artist in 1990s Russia into an influential government official and spin doctor at the heart of the government.[4]
Cast
- Paul Dano as Vadim Baranov (inspired by Vladislav Surkov[2])
- Jude Law as Vladimir Putin (nicknamed the 'tsar'[2])
- Alicia Vikander as Ksenia
- Will Keen as Boris Berezovsky
- Tom Sturridge as Dmitri Sidorov
- Jeffrey Wright as Rowland
- Kaspars Kambala as Alexander Zaldostanov
- Andris Keišs as Yevgeny Prigozhin
- Magne-Håvard Brekke as Eduard Limonov
- Matthew Baunsgard as Larry
- Dan Cade as Agent Johnson
Production
The film is directed by Olivier Assayas and is an adaptation by Assayas and Emmanuel Carrère of the novel The Wizard of the Kremlin by Giuliano da Empoli, published in French in April 2022.[5] It is produced by Curiosa Films and Gaumont in co-production with France 2 Cinéma.[6]
Paul Dano, Jude Law, Alicia Vikander, Zach Galifianakis and Tom Sturridge were reported to be leading the cast in May 2024 with Dano cast as the fictional Russian political advisor Vadim Baranov.[7] In January 2025, it was announced that Law would portray Vladimir Putin.[8] Filming took place in March 2025 in Riga, Latvia.[9]
Release
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 48% of 58 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "A dryly witty yet overwrought slow burner, The Wizard of the Kremlin can't overcome its thin characters, sluggish pacing, and repetitive storytelling."[11] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 54 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[12]
Geoffrey Macnab of The Independent stated that the film is "...very short on emotional heft – its characters are sketchily drawn, and Vadim is a strangely aloof figure, his motivations impossible to fathom."[13] Wendy Ide of The Observer wrote, "Law is terrific, and there’s a choking sense of ominous tension whenever he’s on screen. Unfortunately, he’s not on camera nearly enough to justify The Wizard of the Kremlin’s overlong runtime, stodgy pacing and other considerable issues."[14] Jonathan Romney of Screen International wrote, "A screenplay dense with incident and ideological discussion is carried efficiently by fast-moving, sleek direction and sumptuous mise en scène that catches the tone of a changing society and its sudden explosion of capitalist excess."[15] Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph called the film "...smart and watchable in a miniseries sort of way."[16]
Accolades
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema for Peace Awards | 16 February 2026 | Cinema for Peace Dove for The Most Valuable Film of the Year | The Wizard of the Kremlin | Nominated | [17][18] |
| Venice International Film Festival | 6 September 2025 | Golden Lion | Olivier Assayas | Nominated | [19] |
