Russell Crowe’s New WWII Epic Scores Big With Critics, Lands A Fresh Rotten Tomatoes Rating
Critics are siding with Nuremberg, the Russell Crowe and Rami Malek World War II courtroom drama, which is earning strong reviews and a solid Rotten Tomatoes score as it adapts Jack El-Hai’s The Nazi and the Psychiatrist.
Russell Crowe vs. Rami Malek in a post-war psychological duel? I am listening. The new historical drama 'Nuremberg' is landing with mostly good notices, and the early Rotten Tomatoes score backs that up. It is not exactly light viewing, but the pitch is clear: watch two heavyweights play mind games in the shadow of the Nuremberg trials.
What the movie actually is
'Nuremberg' is written and directed by James Vanderbilt and adapted from Jack El-Hai's 2013 book 'The Nazi and the Psychiatrist.' The focus is tight: Rami Malek plays Army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley, who is tasked with evaluating Nazi leader Hermann Goring, played by Russell Crowe, in post-war Germany. While the film centers on those conversations, it also brings in Michael Shannon as Robert H. Jackson, the steadfast lead prosecutor who anchored the actual trials.
Early reactions: mostly strong, with one notable holdout
Critics are largely into it, especially Crowe's performance, though a few have issues with how hard the film hits and when. Highlights:
- USA Today's Brian Truitt says the movie leans more engaging than austere and knows when to drop the hammer emotionally, calling it a battle of wits between Malek's psychiatrist and Crowe as one of history's worst men.
- Matthew Creith at TheWrap thinks the film benefits from Crowe going big in a way that recalls his early career, describing the turn as genuinely frightening.
- THR's Michael Rechtshaffen is very positive, praising both leads and singling out Michael Shannon as equally effective as the unwavering lead prosecutor Robert H. Jackson.
- Collider's Ross Bonaime also applauds Crowe's terrifyingly sharp work, but adds a caveat: the ending lands, yet the two hours before it rarely match that impact.
- On the other side, Variety's Owen Gleiberman is not sold, arguing the movie does not really dig into the nature of evil through Goring's connection to his crimes.
"It leans entertaining... and gets deadly serious exactly when it needs to."
Where the score sits
As of now, 'Nuremberg' sits at 73% on Rotten Tomatoes from 55 reviews. That will move as more critics weigh in, and the audience score will shift the overall picture once the movie opens wider.
When you can see it
The film premiered at TIFF on September 7, 2025, and it hits US theaters this Friday.
Short version: if you want a tense two-hander with Crowe in full command, critics say this is worth the trip. If you want a deep dive into Goring's evil with a new angle, at least one major voice thinks it comes up short.