Rami Malek may have won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody, but his newest role is a huge departure from that. Malek plays Douglas Kelly in the new film, Nuremberg, and is opening up about what it took to land the role.
Nuremberg opened in theaters on Nov. 7, and Malek talked with Page Six about his newest venture in the film that also stars Russell Crowe. He told the outlet how hard it was for him to get the role, saying, “I put myself out there, and I’m sure there were a number of other actors up for the role, but I really tracked it down, and I fought for it.”
Malek added that he had a hunger for the role that was reminiscent of his early days in acting. “[It] reminded me of my youth when the small jobs would come in and you were just so elated and just to have that emotion…that it hadn’t died was enough to tell me, ‘Wow, it’s a magical art form that we get to be a part of’ and [it’s] exceptionally profound when you get a story like this,” he said.
Nuremberg is a historical drama that’s based on the book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist by Jack El-Hai. In the film, Malek plays Douglas Kelley, a psychiatrist given the task of determining if Hermann Göring (Crowe) is legally sane to stand trial at the Nuremberg trials. Ultimately, Göring was found guilty of all charges, which included crimes against humanity, and was sentenced to death by hanging. But, before he was set to die, Göring died by suicide with a potassium cyanide capsule.
Malek also confessed that he didn’t know a ton about the subject matter before getting the part. “I think I knew as much as anybody did who studied history,” he said, adding he was “immediately taken” by the story after he read the book upon which the film is based. “I knew it would make a fascinating film,” he said.
The Movie Is Dividing Fans and Critics
Nuremberg movieScott Garfield / Sony Pictures Classics / Courtesy Everett Collection
The film is already proving to be divisive among fans and critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, Nuremberg has a 68% critic score, but a much higher 98% audience rating. It has nearly 100 critical reviews and over 100 audience ratings on the review aggregator. The Daily Beast said that while “well-intentioned,” Nuremberg “coats its real-life tale in a corny Hollywood sheen.”
Asynchronous Media via Rotten Tomatoes stated in its review, “Nuremberg wastes an exceptional Russell Crowe performance and interesting perspectives on the inception of the Nuremberg trials for a weightless cavalcade of digestible quips and a shallow parallel to the modern political climate.” However, Screen Zealots said in its review that the film is “a strikingly intelligent portrayal of one of history’s most consequential legal proceedings.”
Audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes were largely positive, with reviewer ecmartinson writing, “Really thought Rami Malek was excellent as Douglas Kelley.” Reviewer inna k via Rotten Tomatoes added that Nuremberg is a “Great historical account of the Nuremberg trials. Great performance and a great history lesson that is not taught in schools.”
Nuremberg comes from writer and director James Vanderbilt and in addition to Malek and Crow, also stars John Slattery, Mark O’Brien, Colin Hanks, Wrenn Schmidt, Lydia Peckham, Richard E. Grant, and Michael Shannon. The film made its world premiere in September 2025 at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it received a positive reception.
Nuremberg is currently playing in movie theaters.
Release Date
November 7, 2025
Runtime
148 minutes
Director
James Vanderbilt
Writers
James Vanderbilt, Jack El-Hai
Producers
István Major, Richard Saperstein, William Sherak, Bradley J. Fischer, Paul Neinstein
Rami Malek
Douglas Kelley
Leo Woodall
Sergeant Howie Triest
John Slattery
Colonel Burton Andrus