James Vanderbilt’s Nuremberg is a 2025 psychological thriller that dramatises the post-war psychiatric evaluation of Nazi war criminals through an intense duel between a U.S. Army psychiatrist and Hitler’s captured second-in-command. Starring Rami Malek and Russell Crowe, the film adapts Jack El-Hai’s non-fiction book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist to explore the machinery of evil rather than the battlefield.
The narrative opens on 7 May 1945, the day Hermann Göring surrenders to American forces, and traces the establishment of the international military tribunal at Nuremberg. Rather than focusing on the courtroom proceedings alone, the screenplay interrogates the psychological manipulations and narcissistic defences employed by the defeated Nazi leadership.
Produced by Walden Media, Bluestone Entertainment and Mythology Entertainment, the picture premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before securing a theatrical release via Sony Pictures Classics. It subsequently became available on Netflix under the studio’s “Pay-1” distribution window.
Where to Watch Nuremberg Movie
Director
James Vanderbilt
Stars
Rami Malek, Russell Crowe
Platform
Netflix
Genre
Psychological thriller historical drama
- The screenplay adapts Jack El-Hai’s 2013 book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist.
- Rami Malek portrays Dr Douglas Kelley, the U.S. Army psychiatrist tasked with evaluating the mental fitness of Nazi prisoners.
- Russell Crowe appears as Hermann Göring, presenting a psychological duel rather than a traditional battle narrative.
- The film received one of the longest standing ovations in Toronto International Film Festival history at its world premiere.
- Audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes reached 95% based on over 1,000 verified reviews.
- The theatrical release grossed over $45 million globally.
- Netflix acquired streaming rights for an 18-month exclusive window in the United States.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Release Year | 2025 |
| Director & Writer | James Vanderbilt |
| Source Material | The Nazi and the Psychiatrist by Jack El-Hai |
| Main Cast | Rami Malek, Russell Crowe |
| Supporting Cast | Michael Shannon, Leo Woodall, John Slattery, Mark O’Brien, Colin Hanks, Wrenn Schmidt, Richard E. Grant, Lydia Peckham |
| Production Companies | Walden Media, Bluestone Entertainment, Mythology Entertainment |
| Filming Location | Budapest, Hungary |
| Runtime | 2 hours 28 minutes |
| Rating | PG-13 |
| US Box Office | $14.5 million |
| Global Box Office | $45 million |
Nuremberg Movie 2025 Release Date
Festival Premiere and Theatrical Release
The film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2025, where it received one of the festival’s longest standing ovations. Sony Pictures Classics distributed the picture theatrically in the United States from 7 November 2025, following an early special release with Q&A sessions on 27 October 2025.
Netflix Streaming Debut
Netflix acquired the “Pay-1” window for the United States, debuting the film on 7 March 2026. The agreement grants the platform an 18-month exclusive period before the title transfers to Disney’s Hulu service. Netflix India and select additional territories received the film simultaneously in March 2026, though most international markets must wait until 2027 or 2028.
While the United States and India gained immediate access to the film on Netflix in March 2026, the majority of European and Asian markets face a delayed rollout scheduled between 2027 and 2028 according to current distribution agreements.
Nuremberg Movie Cast and Director
Leading Performances
Rami Malek stars as Dr Douglas Kelley, the U.S. Army psychiatrist burdened with assessing whether the captured Nazi leadership is mentally fit to stand trial. Russell Crowe, who previously commanded the screen in epics such as Gladiator, inhabits Hermann Göring with a manipulative charm that underscores the character’s narcissistic psychology.
Supporting Ensemble
Michael Shannon appears as Chief Prosecutor Robert H. Jackson, anchoring the legal proceedings with gravitas. The tribunal and military personnel include Leo Woodall, John Slattery, Mark O’Brien, Colin Hanks, Wrenn Schmidt, Richard E. Grant and Lydia Peckham.
Behind the Camera
James Vanderbilt wrote and directed the adaptation, drawing from his background in historical screenplays. Principal photography occupied four months in Budapest, Hungary, from February to May 2024, utilising the city’s architectural period detail to represent post-war Germany.
Other Nuremberg Movies: 1961 and 2000
Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
Stanley Kramer’s 1961 courtroom drama remains the definitive cinematic treatment of the trials, employing a star-studded cast including Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster and Marlene Dietrich. Shot in black and white, the film concentrates on the legal arguments and moral reckoning of the tribunal judges rather than the psychiatric evaluation of individual defendants.
Nuremberg (2000)
The 2000 television miniseries, featuring Alec Baldwin and Brian Cox, offered a docudrama approach spanning the trial’s entirety. While it touched upon the relationships between the accused, it maintained a broader historical sweep compared with the intimate psychological focus of Vanderbilt’s 2025 interpretation.
Unlike the 1961 film’s courtroom emphasis or the 2000 miniseries’ narrative breadth, the 2025 Nuremberg specifically isolates the psychiatric interviews between Kelley and Göring, sourcing its dialogue and scenarios from Jack El-Hai’s non-fiction account rather than trial transcripts alone.
The film condenses certain timelines and composite characters for dramatic effect. While based on documented evaluations, specific conversational details between Kelley and Göring represent dramatised interpretations of their documented interactions.
From Script to Screen: Production Timeline
- Literary Foundation: Jack El-Hai publishes The Nazi and the Psychiatrist in 2013, documenting the real Dr Kelley’s work at Nuremberg.
- Development: James Vanderbilt adapts the book for the screen, securing financing through Walden Media, Bluestone Entertainment and Mythology Entertainment.
- Casting: Rami Malek and Russell Crowe sign on to headline the psychological drama, with Michael Shannon joining as the chief prosecutor.
- Filming: Production commences in Budapest, Hungary in February 2024 and concludes in May 2024.
- Festival Premiere: The film premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival on 7 September 2025 to extended applause.
- Limited Release: Special Q&A screenings occur on 27 October 2025 ahead of the general theatrical rollout.
- Theatrical Release: Sony Pictures Classics releases the film across the United States on 7 November 2025.
- Streaming Debut: Netflix launches the title on 7 March 2026 under the Sony Pay-1 agreement.
What We Know and What Remains Uncertain
Established Facts
- Netflix US streaming commenced 7 March 2026 for an 18-month term.
- Theatrical release date: 7 November 2025 (US).
- Runtime confirmed at 2 hours 28 minutes.
- Exact box office figures: $14.5 million domestic, $45 million worldwide.
- Rotten Tomatoes scores: 71% critics, 95% audience.
Uncertainties
- Precise theatrical release dates for UK and European markets outside festival circuits.
- Specific debut dates for Netflix territories outside the US and India.
- Physical media (Blu-ray/DVD) release scheduling.
- Availability on secondary platforms following the Hulu transition post-2028.
The Historical Weight of the Nuremberg Trials on Film
The Nuremberg trials represented the first international attempt to hold individuals criminally responsible for crimes against humanity, establishing precedent for modern war crimes tribunals. By focusing on Dr Douglas Kelley’s psychiatric evaluations, the 2025 film interrogates the banality of evil through clinical dialogue rather than archival footage, suggesting that narcissistic personality structures, rather than ideological fanaticism alone, enabled the Holocaust’s machinery.
Christopher Nolan’s recent historical epics have demonstrated audience appetite for meticulously researched period dramas, yet Vanderbilt’s approach diverges by confining the action largely to interrogation rooms. This claustrophobic setting amplifies the psychological tension inherent in attempting to categorise human evil within diagnostic manuals.
Critical Consensus and Source Material
“Well-paced, expertly performed, and an urgent call to stand up to fascism.”
— Barry Levitt, Empire Magazine
Critics awarded the film a 71% score on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences registered a significantly warmer 95% approval rating from over 1,000 verified reviews. Particular commendation centred on Crowe’s embodiment of Göring’s manipulative charisma and Malek’s restrained portrayal of a physician confronting moral exhaustion.
The screenplay draws primarily from Jack El-Hai’s 2013 non-fiction work rather than direct trial transcripts, allowing for narrative compression while maintaining historical fidelity to the psychiatric methodologies employed by Kelley.
Final Summary
Nuremberg (2025) succeeds as a claustrophobic psychological thriller anchored by commanding performances from Rami Malek and Russell Crowe. By narrowing the vast historical scope of the post-war trials to the intimate contest between evaluator and evaluated, James Vanderbilt delivers a meditation on the recognisable humanity of evil. Available now on Netflix in the United States and India, with wider international rollout pending, the film stands as a necessary addition to the cinematic canon of Holocaust and war crimes documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Nuremberg movie based on true events?
Yes. The film adapts Jack El-Hai’s non-fiction book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, documenting Dr Douglas Kelley’s real psychiatric evaluations of Nazi war criminals, including Hermann Göring, at Nuremberg in 1945.
What is the plot of Nuremberg 2025?
The narrative follows U.S. Army psychiatrist Dr Douglas Kelley as he assesses the mental fitness of captured Nazi leadership, focusing on his psychological duel with Hermann Göring to understand the “anatomy of evil” before the international tribunal.
Who plays Hermann Göring in the Nuremberg movie?
Russell Crowe portrays Hermann Göring, Hitler’s former second-in-command, capturing the character’s narcissistic manipulation and psychological defences during post-war interrogations.
When will Nuremberg be available on Netflix in the UK?
Netflix has not confirmed a specific UK release date. While the film debuted on Netflix US and India on 7 March 2026, most other territories including the UK are expected to receive access between 2027 and 2028.
How does the 2025 Nuremberg film differ from the 1961 version?
The 1961 Judgment at Nuremberg focuses on courtroom proceedings and legal arguments, whereas the 2025 film concentrates on pre-trial psychiatric evaluations and the psychological relationship between Dr Kelley and Göring.
What is the runtime of Nuremberg 2025?
The film runs 2 hours and 28 minutes (148 minutes) and carries a PG-13 rating.
Who directed the 2025 Nuremberg movie?
James Vanderbilt directed and wrote the screenplay, adapting Jack El-Hai’s book for the screen.
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