Jude Law’s New Vladimir Putin Movie Debuts With Underwhelming Rotten Tomatoes Score

Jude Law is an accomplished English actor who first emerged from the world of British theatre before making his mark on screen in both film and television. His breakthrough performance came in Anthony Minghella’s The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), a role that earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Law’s career blossomed throughout the early 2000s with standout performances in Steven Spielberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), Sam Mendes’ Road to Perdition (2002), and Minghella’s Cold Mountain (2003), the last of which secured him a second Oscar nomination, this time for a leading role. His other notable films include Mike Nichols’ Closer (2004) and the romantic comedy The Holiday (2006).

In subsequent years, Law embraced blockbuster franchises, playing Dr. Watson in Sherlock Holmes (2009) and its sequel A Game of Shadows (2011), a young Albus Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) and its sequel The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022), and Yon-Rogg in Captain Marvel (2019), which account for his most commercially successful projects.

He also delivered memorable turns in Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion (2011), Martin Scorsese’s Hugo (2011), Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest H๏τel (2014), and the HBO series The Young Pope (2016) and The New Pope (2020). Most recently, Law appeared in the Disney+ series Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (2024) and now, a new Vladimir Putin movie that has premiered to mixed reviews.

The Wizard Of The Kremlin Debuts With Underwhelming Rotten Tomatoes Score

Jude Law at Venice International Film Festival

Jude Law, 82nd Venice International Film Festival – ‘The Wizard of the Kremlin’ PH๏τocall
Andrea Raffin/KIKA Press/Cover Images

The Wizard Of The Kremlin has debuted with an underwhelming Rotten Tomatoes score. Directed by Olivier ᴀssayas, who co-wrote the script with Emmanuel Carrère based on the 2022 novel by Giuliano da Empoli, the film follows the fictional Vadim Baranov, a powerful political insider and spin doctor in the Russian government, as a young Vladimir Putin (played by Jude Law) begins his ascent to power.

The cast also includes Paul Dano as Vadim Baranov, Oscar winner Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl), Oscar nominee Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction), The Sandman‘s Tom Sturridge, Will Keen, Magne-Håvard Brekke, Matthew Baunsgard, and Dan Cade.

Following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 31, The Wizard of the Kremlin has debuted with a 40% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie only has 15 reviews at the time of writing, so its score should fluctuate as more are published. The Wizard of the Kremlin doesn’t yet have a theatrical release date, so it’s unknown when it will have an audience score.

What The Wizard Of The Kremlin’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Means For The Movie

paul dano in the wizard of the kremlin

paul dano in the wizard of the kremlin

Critics are sharply divided on The Wizard of the Kremlin, with many dismissing it as episodic, dull, or emotionally hollow – faulting issues such as its cynicism, rushed pacing, and lack of dramatic urgency. Others admire its ambition, praising its ability to capture Russia’s political shift during the 1990s. Ultimately, The Wizard of the Kremlin is intriguing some, but frustrating many.

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