Last night we headed back to the 1940s with the Cineworld Unlimited Screening of the film Nuremberg, which is based on the true story of the Nuremberg trials.
Set in the immediate aftermath of World War II, Nuremberg follows Major Douglas M. Kelley (Rami Malek), an ambitious U.S. Army psychiatrist assigned to evaluate the mental health of captured Nazi leaders awaiting trial for war crimes. His main subject becomes Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe), the former head of the Luftwaffe and Hitler’s second-in-command.
At first, Kelley views the assignment as an opportunity to prove that the Nazi defendants are psychopaths—monsters incapable of empathy. But as he interviews them, particularly Göring, he is unsettled to find charisma, logic, and even charm beneath their monstrous deeds. Göring plays psychological games, challenging Kelley’s assumptions about guilt, leadership, and morality.
Over weeks of interrogation, the two men develop a tense intellectual relationship. Göring tries to manipulate Kelley, portraying himself as a patriot rather than a murderer, and suggesting that “any nation could produce men like us under the right conditions.” Kelley, meanwhile, begins to question whether evil is an aberration—or a part of the human condition.
As the trials proceed, Göring’s influence among the other prisoners grows. Despite Kelley’s warnings, Göring is allowed to represent himself in court, where he attempts to turn the proceedings into a platform for Nazi ideology. Kelley’s mental health deteriorates as he becomes obsessed with proving that Göring is sane but morally corrupt, not insane and excusable.
In the final act, Göring commits suicide with a smuggled cyanide capsule hours before his scheduled execution, depriving the tribunal—and Kelley—of closure. Kelley is left haunted by the realisation that he may have been drawn too deeply into Göring’s psychological trap. The film closes with him reflecting that the line between sanity and evil is far thinner than he ever believed.
Nuremberg is a powerful and somewhat emotional film in parts, as we are shown some of the real footage of the camps and the bodies of the victims of the Nazi regime, but what really stands out in this film is the amazing performances from Malek and Crowe as Kelley and Göring.
The production of Nuremberg is superb, with the film looking great on the big screen, thanks to its impressive cinematography that brings the story to life. This is a film that doesn’t use brash and bright colours, and it feels slightly washed out; however, this works brilliantly for the time period in which the film is set.
I was drawn into the story as the film unfolded. The onscreen chemistry between Malek and Crowe is exceptional. Even though many of us are familiar with the historical events from school or previous films, the outcome still resonates deeply.
The Sky Original movies have usually been a bit hit and miss with me over the years, but Nuremberg is a hit for me; it’s a film that is so well put together that it works. In this day and age, with what is happening in the world, with all the hate for minorities, it feels like some people haven’t learnt from what happened during the war by the Nazis.
Nuremberg is in UK Cinemas on the 14th of November.
A Powerful and Emotional Movie
Movie title: Nuremberg (2025)
Movie description: A WWII psychiatrist evaluates Nazi leaders before the Nuremberg trials, growing increasingly obsessed with understanding evil as he forms a disturbing bond with Hermann Göring.
Date published: November 12, 2025
Country: UK
Duration: 2h 28m
Director(s): James Vanderbilt
Actor(s): Russell Crowe, Michael Shannon, Rami Malek
Genre: Legal Drama, History, War
Summary
James Vanderbilt’s Nuremberg delivers a gripping psychological drama, with Rami Malek and Russell Crowe electrifying as a psychiatrist and war criminal in a chilling exploration of sanity, power, and the banality of evil.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
