Russell Crowe’s World War II Drama ‘Nuremberg’ Streaming on Netflix

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The compelling drama Nuremberg, which wasn’t nominated for an Oscar despite its historical significance, will be available to stream on Netflix starting March 7th. Directed by James Vanderbilt and starring Rami Malek and Russell Crowe, the film earned $46 million in theaters and was later released for digital rental in December. The movie has had a steady run, finding success over several months. It centers on Dr. Douglas Kelley (Malek), an Army psychiatrist who analyzed Nazi war criminals after World War II, with a particular focus on Hermann Göring (Crowe), a narcissistic figure who offered surprisingly insightful glimpses into the human psyche.

The film Nuremberg, based on Jack El-Hai’s book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist (2013), debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival last September and was released widely in the US in November. According to Variety, the film also performed well internationally and has a 95% audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting it will attract a large viewership. The Hollywood Reporter praised the film as “commanding” and noted its release couldn’t be more relevant, given growing concerns about authoritarianism and fascism in the United States. Critics generally liked the timely historical drama, leading many to question why it wasn’t nominated for an Oscar this year.

Dishing on the Oscars last January, Crowe told The Tab:

These days, it feels like success comes down to being popular, not about being good at what you do. I don’t care about getting approval from people in Los Angeles, honestly.

What Is Russell Crowe’s ‘Nuremberg’?

Following his experiences at the war crimes tribunal, psychiatrist Douglas Kelley wrote a stark warning about the threat of extremism in democratic societies. In his 1947 book, 22 Cells in Nuremberg, Kelley argued that figures like Hitler and Goering weren’t unique individuals, but rather products of their environment. He believed that very little currently prevents a similar, Nazi-like regime from taking hold in America. Kelley cautioned that the Nazi government rose to power through legal and democratic means, with many passively allowing hateful leaders to seize control.

Sadly, Kelley’s urgent warning was overlooked because it appeared shortly after the victory over fascism. His book was quickly forgotten. The generation that had fought and won the war wasn’t prepared to accept that true progress meant overcoming the same emotional immaturity seen in Nazi Germany. In fact, Kelley’s insights about the roots of evil came years before philosopher Hannah Arendt described the “banality of evil” while covering the Adolf Eichmann trial in 1961.

As a film buff, I’ve always noticed how movies, even those set in the past, are always made from the present. That’s definitely true with Nuremberg. It looks back at history, but really it’s about understanding where we are now. There’s a scene where Göring tells Kelley that Hitler made Germans feel a sense of national pride again, and it really stuck with me. A top WWII historian actually pointed out that the film might fall into the trap of ‘presentism’ – judging the past by today’s standards – when showing how we discovered the horrors of Nazi Germany. But, they were amazed by how accurately the film captures the language and the way Germans actually thought back then. It’s a really nuanced portrayal, which is impressive.

Why ‘Nuremberg’ Matters So Much Now


Sony Pictures Classics

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The film Nuremberg will undoubtedly spark further debate about today’s divided society, while also thoughtfully examining the past. The movie centers around a powerful statement by historian R.G. Collingwood – appearing near the end – that ‘The only clue to what man can do is what man has done.’ This idea feels strikingly relevant across time. Ultimately, the film leaves viewers to consider how we can apply these historical lessons to the future.



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2026-03-07 22:18