A psychological thriller explores the minds behind the historic Nuremberg trials of 1945

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: James Vanderbilt’s 2025 film Nuremberg examines the complex relationship between U.S. Army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley and Nazi leader Hermann Göring. While Kelley attempts to profile the high-ranking detainees, the film reveals the moral friction of the trials, the struggle for international justice, and the haunting personal toll of confronting evil.

Directed by James Vanderbilt and based on Jack El-Hai’s 2013 book, the film follows Lt. Col. Douglas Kelley, played by Rami Malek, as he evaluates 22 Nazi leaders in Allied custody. His primary subject is Hermann Göring, portrayed by Russell Crowe, whom Kelley initially views as an intelligent yet narcissistic figure. The narrative centers on their evolving rapport, which becomes a tool for both men: Kelley seeks insights for a tell-all book, while Göring attempts to manipulate the proceedings to defend the Nazi regime.

The film juxtaposes Kelley’s psychological observations with the legal maneuvering of Associate Justice Robert Jackson. Jackson, who fought to establish an international tribunal rather than relying on summary executions, faces immense pressure to create a legal precedent for war crimes. As the trial progresses, the prosecution’s evidence of atrocities forces a confrontation between Kelley and Göring, shattering the psychiatrist’s professional detachment and exposing the chilling reality of the regime’s actions.

Critics have offered mixed assessments of the 2025 release. While many praise Russell Crowe’s performance and the film’s earnest ambition to educate, others, such as Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian, criticized the portrayal of Kelley as a caricature. Despite these debates, the film highlights the lasting legacy of the Nuremberg trials, which laid the foundation for modern international prosecution of war crimes, while also depicting the tragic, alcohol-fueled decline of Kelley, who died by suicide in 1958.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• A wartime courtroom drama that hides a secret mission beneath its legal proceedings
• How a 2017 thriller dramatized the rise and fall of a Nazi architect
• Can a legal system be held accountable for the atrocities of a fallen regime?
• Can Hollywood accurately capture the complex psychology of history's most infamous dictators?
• A man leaves an asylum only to find the world is more dangerous outside.
• A cinematic triumph of spirit, or a dramatized version of a disputed record?
• Why Alfred Hitchcock once called his own 1932 thriller a complete disaster
• How a film about the Great Depression became a digital pioneer and folk sensation
• How a shelved script became a Jean-Claude Van Damme cult action classic
• The 1952 anthology film that famously lost a segment before its New York premiere
• A German-Jewish family finds refuge in Kenya, only to face a fractured identity.
• A surrealist odyssey through 1970s Britain that remains a disturbing, carnivalesque, and maximalist satire.

More in Films · More in Entertainment · Latest · A–Z · All topics