March 30, 2018 · 2 min read

‘Death of Stalin,’ ‘Loveless’ open at the Ross

"The Death of Stalin" will be aired at The Ross March 30 through April 12.

Films opening March 30 at Nebraska’s Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center offer audiences two very different Russian adventures.

Showing through April 12, “The Death of Stalin” is a comedy of terrors set in Moscow in 1953 after tyrannical dictator Joseph Stalin drops dead. The film explores the frantic power struggle of Stalin’s parasitic cronies squaring off to be the next leader of the Soviet Union.

The contenders include the dweeby Georgy Malenkov (played by Jeffrey Tambor), the wily Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi) and the sadistic secret police chief Lavrentiv Beria (Simon Russell Beale). As this trio bumbles, brawls and backstabs their way to the top, viewers are left wondering just who is running the great Soviet government.

Directed by Arnando Iannucci, “The Death of Stalin” is rated R for language throughout, violence and some sexual references.

Trailer: "The Death of Stalin"

Also opening is “Loveless,” a riveting portrayal of a family in crisis in modern Russia.

Showing through April 5, “Loveless” follows the vicious divorce of Zhenya and Boris. Already embarking on new lives, each with a new partner, the former husband and wife are impatient to start again.

The acrimony builds, leading to threats about abandoning their 12-year-old son, Alexey. That all changes when, after witnessing one of his parents’ fights, Alexey disappears.

“Loveless” is rated R for strong sexuality, graphic nudity, language and a brief disturbing image.