Assassin of the Tsar (1991): cast, story & where to watch
1991 · Film · ★ 6.4
Released in 1991, Assassin of the Tsar is a drama and history film directed by Karen Shakhnazarov, running about 98 minutes. “Obsessed with the past. Condemned to repeat it.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. A new doctor from Moscow arrives at a provincial mental institution. His interest is the peculiarities of the psyche of a patient who believes that he is Yakov Yurovsky, the man who assassinated the last Russian tsar. In the course of their conversations it transpires that the patient is a kind of philosopher, not without a gift for suggestion. In a while the doctor himself falls under his patient’s influence: he tends to relive that fatal night of June 16-17, 1918 when, without any investigation or trial, Tsar Nicholas II, who had recently abdicated, was murdered, together with his wife, daughters and incurably ill heir. Soon the doctor realizes that the tragedy of the last Russian tsar is in part his own tragedy, too...
Who’s in it. Assassin of the Tsar stars Oleg Yankovskiy as Dr. Smirnov / Tsar Nicholas II, Malcolm McDowell as Timofeyev / Yurovsky, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan as Александр Егорович and Yuriy Sherstnyov as Kozlov, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.4/10, Assassin of the Tsar has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Philo, OVID, Fandor Amazon Channel and Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Assassin of the Tsar page.
If you liked it. Fans of Assassin of the Tsar tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Assassin of the Tsar (1991)?
- In US, Assassin of the Tsar is available to stream on Philo, OVID and Fandor Amazon Channel, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Assassin of the Tsar worth watching?
- Assassin of the Tsar holds an audience score of 6.4 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy drama and history. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in Assassin of the Tsar?
- Assassin of the Tsar stars Oleg Yankovskiy, Malcolm McDowell, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Yuriy Sherstnyov and Olga Antonova.
- When was Assassin of the Tsar released?
- Assassin of the Tsar was released in 1991, with a runtime of about 98 minutes.