Verdict: 4/5 — A handsomely crafted, slow-burn historical drama elevated by two powerhouse performances. Russell Crowe is genuinely chilling as Hermann Göring, and Rami Malek gives the cat-and-mouse game real psychological weight. Deliberate pacing will test some viewers, but the duel at its center is riveting.
| Director / Writer | James Vanderbilt |
| Cast | Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Michael Shannon, Leo Woodall, John Slattery, Richard E. Grant, Colin Hanks |
| Runtime | 148 minutes (2h 28m) |
| Release | November 7, 2025 (theatrical) |
| Streaming | Netflix (from March 7, 2026, US) |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 71% critics / 95% audience |
| Based on | The Nazi and the Psychiatrist by Jack El-Hai |
| Bottom line | A battle of minds that lingers long after |
Plot Summary (Spoiler-Light)
In the immediate aftermath of World War II, U.S. Army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek) arrives in Nuremberg, tasked with evaluating whether the surviving Nazi high command is mentally fit to stand trial for war crimes. What begins as clinical duty becomes an obsession: Kelley locks into a psychological duel with Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe), Hitler’s second-in-command — a man of terrifying charm, vanity, and manipulative intelligence, determined to bend his evaluator to his own narrative.
Meanwhile, chief prosecutor Robert H. Jackson (Michael Shannon) races to build the case that will define international justice, as the Allies confront the unveiled horrors of the Holocaust.
What Works
Russell Crowe is phenomenal. This is Crowe at his most commanding in years — Göring as a showman, a bully, and a strangely charismatic monster who understands exactly which levers to pull on the man sent to judge him. Critics singled him out for good reason: it’s a banner performance that carries the film.
The psychological duel crackles. The Kelley–Göring sessions are the film’s engine — two Oscar winners circling each other, each convinced he understands the other. The film’s central question — can you comprehend evil without being contaminated by it? — lands with real force.
It looks and feels expensive. Cinematographer Dariusz Wolski gives the film a solemn, classical weight, and the $10M budget punches far above its weight (the film grossed roughly $45M worldwide). The trial sequences carry genuine gravity.
The audience response is real. A 95% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and a run at No. 3 on Netflix’s U.S. Top 10 after its March 2026 streaming debut tell the story: viewers connected with this one far more than critics did.
What Doesn’t
The pacing is deliberate to a fault. At nearly two and a half hours, Nuremberg is a slow burn, and the middle stretch — Kelley growing obsessed while the trial machinery grinds — will lose viewers who want momentum. The measured tone is intentional, but it keeps the film from fully igniting.
Emotional restraint cuts both ways. The film’s critics-consensus complaint is fair: the admirable solemnity sometimes holds the story at arm’s length. You admire it more than you feel it — until Crowe is on screen, at least.
History gets compressed. As with any dramatization, relationships are sharpened and timelines tightened (fellow psychiatrist Gustave Gilbert’s role, for instance, is played more adversarially than records suggest). Viewers coming for a documentary should read Jack El-Hai’s book alongside.
Cast & Performances
- Russell Crowe (Hermann Göring): Commanding, loathsome, magnetic — the film’s towering center.
- Rami Malek (Douglas Kelley): Quiet, unraveling intensity; the obsession reads in every scene.
- Michael Shannon (Robert H. Jackson): Granite-like moral authority as the chief prosecutor.
- Leo Woodall, John Slattery, Richard E. Grant, Colin Hanks: A deep bench of supporting players, all solid.
Where to Watch Nuremberg
After its November 2025 theatrical run, Nuremberg arrived on Netflix in the U.S. on March 7, 2026, where it quickly became one of the platform’s most-watched films. It’s also available to rent or buy on digital storefronts including Apple TV, Amazon Video, and Google Play.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nuremberg based on a true story?
Yes. It’s adapted from Jack El-Hai’s book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, about U.S. Army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley’s real evaluation of Hermann Göring and other Nazi leaders before the Nuremberg trials — though the film dramatizes and compresses events.
Who plays Göring in Nuremberg?
Russell Crowe, in a performance widely praised as one of his best in years.
How long is Nuremberg?
148 minutes (2 hours 28 minutes). Rated PG-13.
Where can I stream Nuremberg?
On Netflix in the U.S. (since March 2026); also available to rent/buy on Apple TV, Amazon Video, and Google Play.
Is Nuremberg worth watching?
If you like prestige historical dramas and psychological two-handers — think courtroom tension meets a battle of minds — yes. Audiences (95% on Rotten Tomatoes) embraced it far more warmly than critics (71%).