This 96%-Rated Gem From 'Zodiac' Writer Is One of the Best War Movies of 2025

Directed and written by James Vanderbilt, Nuremberg received a four-minute standing ovation at the Toronto Film Festival. It is not a dry historical chronicle of the famous trial, but rather a tense psychological drama.

The movie explores the relationship between high-ranking Nazi Hermann Göring and his American psychiatrist in an attempt to understand how ordinary people become monsters.

What Is 'Nuremberg' About?

The plot revolves around the preparation and progress of the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals following World War II.

The movie centers on two pivotal figures: Hitler's deputy, Hermann Göring, and Douglas Kelley, the American psychiatrist tasked with assessing the sanity of the 22 defendants.

Göring surrendered to the Allies with bravado and intends to turn the trial into a new battlefield that he would win. Kelley's task is to penetrate the mind of one of the Nazi regime's main architects.

'Nuremberg' Is a Movie from the Screenwriter of 'Zodiac'

James Vanderbilt is best known as a screenwriter, particularly for his work on David Fincher's thriller Zodiac. Both projects share a deep obsession with understanding the nature of evil and what drives the criminal mind.

In Zodiac, evil is an elusive shadow. In Nuremberg, however, Vanderbilt gives evil a specific face and name: Hermann Göring. He locks him up to begin his dissection, but, as with a serial killer, there are no easy answers.

'Nuremberg' Is Not Very Historically Accurate – It Has Another, Deeper Goal

Nuremberg, based on the book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, does not strive for documentary accuracy. Virtually no Soviet representatives are featured, and many details of the trial are omitted or altered.

This is a deliberate choice – Vanderbilt's goal is not to recreate the era, but rather to draw relevant parallels with modern times and remind viewers of the tribunal's enduring significance.

Using classic Hollywood dramaturgy and a strong cast, he conveys a complex and terrifying message about the banality of evil.

Like 'The Zone of Interest', 'Nuremberg' Manages to Show the Banality of Evil

Russell Crowe portrays Göring not as a fiend but as an intelligent, charismatic, and even charming bureaucrat who was simply "doing his job."

His antagonists, psychiatrist Kelley and Judge Jackson, are also far from ideal, being driven by vanity, ambition, and questionable methods.

This moral gray area forces viewers to realize that monsters aren't from another world. They grow up among us, and their main distinguishing feature isn't an "evil" nature but a complete lack of empathy.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Nuremberg'?

• Nuremberg has 72% from critics and 96% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 7.4/10.

• On Letterboxd, Nuremberg scored 3.5/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Nuremberg'?

Nuremberg is available to rent or buy on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.