A Courtroom Where History Still Echoes
Sony Pictures Classics has dropped the full official trailer for Nuremberg, James Vanderbilt’s second directorial feature, and it’s a gut punch. Based on Jack El-Hai’s book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, the film revisits the infamous Nuremberg Trials (1945–1946), where Nazi leaders were forced to confront their crimes against humanity.
The trailer doesn’t just tease a courtroom drama — it feels like a psychological horror film masquerading as history. Russell Crowe’s Hermann Göring oozes charisma and menace, while Rami Malek’s U.S. Army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley looks increasingly consumed by his need to “understand evil.”
Cast and Characters
- Russell Crowe as Hermann Göring
- Rami Malek as Douglas Kelley
- Michael Shannon as Chief Prosecutor Robert H. Jackson
- Leo Woodall, Richard E. Grant, John Slattery, Mark O’Brien, Colin Hanks, Lydia Peckham, Wrenn Schmidt round out the ensemble
It’s a lineup that screams awards season, and the festival circuit agrees.
Festival Circuit and Release
Nuremberg premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), followed by screenings at AFI Fest, Zurich Film Festival, and San Sebastián International Film Festival.
Sony Pictures Classics will release the film in select U.S. theaters on November 7, 2025.
Source: Variety | Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Why This Story Still Matters
The Nuremberg Trials weren’t just about punishing war criminals — they were about defining justice in a world that had just witnessed industrial-scale genocide. Vanderbilt’s film doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable truth: evil often hides behind intellect, charm, and bureaucracy.
Crowe’s Göring is portrayed not as a caricatured villain but as a dangerously persuasive figure. Malek’s Kelley, meanwhile, risks becoming entrapped in the very psyche he’s trying to dissect. It’s a chilling reminder that the line between observer and participant can blur in terrifying ways.
Behind the Camera
James Vanderbilt is best known as a screenwriter (Zodiac, The Amazing Spider-Man, White House Down), but here he’s flexing his directorial muscles for only the second time after Truth. Produced by Bradley J. Fischer, Cherilyn Hawrysh, István Major, Paul Neinstein, Richard Saperstein, William Sherak, Frank Smith, Benjamin Tappan, and Vanderbilt himself, the film carries the weight of prestige production.
5 Key Takeaways from the Nuremberg Trailer
Crowe’s Transformation Russell Crowe disappears into Göring — equal parts chilling and magnetic.
Malek’s Psychological Spiral Rami Malek’s portrayal of Kelley suggests a man unraveling as he stares too long into the abyss.
Festival Buzz TIFF audiences called it “riveting” and “unsettling,” setting the stage for awards chatter.
Historical Weight The film doesn’t just dramatize history — it interrogates it, asking what justice really means.
Release Date Locked Mark your calendars: November 7, 2025, in select U.S. theaters.
FAQs About Nuremberg
What book is the film based on? Jack El-Hai’s The Nazi and the Psychiatrist.
Who directs Nuremberg? James Vanderbilt, known for writing Zodiac and The Amazing Spider-Man.
When does it release? November 7, 2025, via Sony Pictures Classics.
Where did it premiere? At the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, with additional screenings at AFI Fest, Zurich, and San Sebastián.
Closing Thoughts
Watching this trailer, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of history pressing down. Nuremberg isn’t just another WWII drama — it’s a mirror held up to the darkest corners of human psychology. Gorgeous. Grating. Gorgeous again.
So — will you step into that courtroom when it opens this November?
