The Death of Stalin

Between Alan Partridge, The Thick of It and Veep, Armando Iannucci has rightly earned himself a place in the pantheon of great British comedians.

So there’s understandable excitement about The Death of Stalin – the Scottish satirist’s directorial debut, adapted from a critically acclaimed graphic novel, and starring a breathtakingly A-List comedy cast – Jeffrey Tambor, Steve Buscemi, Jason Isaacs, Michael Palin and more.

Alas, while it has glimmers of the genius satire audiences have come to know and love from Iannucci, it lacks the pacing and balance of his creator-owned works like Partridge, resulting in a well-written but tonally wonky, narratively indulgent and ultimately frustrating farce.