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Two Prosecutors
Zwei Staatsanwälte
2025 118 min France, Germany, Netherlands, Latvia, Romania, Lithuania 12+
★7.6
Drama, Mystery, Thriller, History
Director: Sergey Loznitsa
Trailers
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Teaser
Teaser
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Description
In 1937, amidst Stalin's Great Terror, a newly appointed prosecutor for the USSR is made aware of alleged corruption in the Secret Police, and takes it upon himself to investigate.
Starring
Alexander Kuznetsov
Actor
Anatoliy Beliy
Actor
Dmitrijus Denisiukas
Actor
Awards
Cannes Film Festival 2025
— François Chalais Prize
Cannes Film Festival 2025
— Palme d'Or
Key opinion
Zwei Staatsanwälte is a polarizing historical drama that utilizes a sterile, Kafkaesque aesthetic to examine the banality of evil in Stalinist Russia. While supporters praise its cold, observational power and strong performances, critics find the film tedious, implausible, and hampered by a predictable narrative.
| Cinematography | The 4:3 cinematography and static framing effectively capture a suffocating, claustrophobic atmosphere. | |
| Acting | The central performances, particularly those of Kuznetsov, Filippenko, and Beliy, successfully anchor the film's tense, bureaucratic confrontations. | |
| Pacing | The film's slow-burn pacing and sparse dialogue divide audiences between those who appreciate the contemplative, documentary-style immersion and those who find the viewing experience tedious and exhausting. | |
| Screenplay | Opinions on the screenplay are split: some see a masterful, chilling parable on the nature of systemic evil, while others condemn the plot as predictable, implausible, and lacking in psychological depth. |