Stalin: Inside the Terror (2003): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2003, Stalin: Inside the Terror is a documentary film, running about 90 minutes. “an intimate portrait of the greatest monster of the 20th century” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. This program is an overview of the life and career of Joseph Stalin. It concentrates on describing and attempting to explain the origins of the policy of “terror” instigated by Stalin as leader of the USSR. There are interviews with surviving family members and experts all of whom attempt some sort of personality “analysis” of the dictator to explain his behaviour and policies. Another question that is examined is, given his record of “terror”, why was he so popular? Why did so many Russians mourn his death in 1953? This could be an overview and introduction to a study of both Stalin and USSR in the post revolution period.

Who’s in it. Stalin: Inside the Terror stars Kira Alliluyeva as Herself, Kira Alliluyeva as Polina Molotov, Siân Phillips as Narrator and Robert Service as Himself, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.3/10, Stalin: Inside the Terror has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Britbox Apple TV Channel and BritBox. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Stalin: Inside the Terror page.

If you liked it. Fans of Stalin: Inside the Terror tend to enjoy One Direction: This Is Us, Burn the Stage: The Movie, BTS World Tour: Love Yourself - Japan Edition and Senna.