The weight of history meets psychological thriller in Nuremberg, the new historical drama released today, November 7, 2025. Directed by writer-director James Vanderbilt and based on the book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, the film is a star-studded, ambitious look at the critical months leading up to the groundbreaking war crimes trials.
While critics are mixed on the film’s overall tone and pacing, there is near-unanimous praise for the commanding central performances that anchor the difficult story.
The Duel of Minds: Göring vs. Kelley
The film pivots on the intense, real-life interactions between two key figures:
- Russell Crowe as Hermann Göring: Crowe delivers a powerhouse, Oscar-baiting performance as the narcissistic, cunning, and highest-ranking Nazi official captured. Critics note that Crowe completely embodies Göring’s terrifying magnetism, making him a complicated and often darkly humorous villain who uses charm and intellect to try and manipulate the proceedings.
- Rami Malek as Dr. Douglas Kelley: Malek plays the ambitious U.S. Army psychiatrist tasked with determining if the Nazi prisoners are mentally fit to stand trial. Their private prison conversations form the most riveting segments of the film, creating a disturbing psychological “chess match” where Kelley’s idealism is tested by Göring’s calculated evil.
Critics Divided on Tone and Scope
The film’s reviews are split primarily over the approach to such a serious historical topic:
| What Works (Strengths) | What Falls Short (Weaknesses) |
| Performances: Crowe’s transformation and the dynamic between Crowe and Malek are highly praised as dynamic and compelling. | Uneven Tone: Critics note the film struggles to find its tone, often inserting snappy, almost “Aaron Sorkin-y” jokes and one-liners that feel jarring and out of place given the horrific subject matter. |
| Historical Gravity: The film effectively shows the intense pressure and bureaucracy involved in creating the unprecedented international tribunal, led by Michael Shannon as prosecutor Robert H. Jackson. | Pacing and Focus: The film’s nearly two-and-a-half hour runtime feels uncalibrated, with some reviewers finding the narrative too scattered and the courtroom drama itself surprisingly brief. |
| Timely Message: Vanderbilt is credited with making the film relevant today, using Göring’s rhetoric to issue a clear warning about how extremist ideologies and unchecked power can flourish in any society. | Lack of Realism: Some feel the film reduces the true complexity of the historical event to familiar dramatic tropes, resulting in a production that is “handsomely crafted” but often feels like a “dusty reenactment.” |
Final Verdict
Ultimately, Nuremberg is viewed as an important film that demands to be seen, if only for the sheer weight of its historical subject and the undeniable force of Russell Crowe’s performance. It may be a flawed drama, but its powerful use of real archival concentration camp footage during the trial sequence serves as a sobering and unforgettable reminder of the truth the proceedings were designed to confront.
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