Mr. Nobody Against Putin
| Release Date: January 21, 2026 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
80
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonMar 19, 2026
The film details how constant propaganda, lies and outright gaslighting can effectively numb and coerce a populace. Read full review
91
IndieWireChristian BlauveltFeb 1, 2025
In the wave of documentaries about the Ukraine War that have come out over the past two years, there hasn’t been one that’s offered what David Borenstein’s Mr. Nobody Against Putin does — and certainly not with such wit, verve, and insight: The view inside Russia. Read full review
90
VarietyCarlos AguilarFeb 1, 2025
Through the eyes of its delightfully brave, yet utterly relatable subject (also the de facto cinematographer), this terrifying, revelatory and poignant exposé offers an unseen human angle on an ongoing conflict that’s continues to be widely addressed in documentary cinema. Read full review
88
RogerEbert.comMatt Zoller SeitzJan 22, 2026
Purely on a craft level, “Mr. Nobody Against Putin” is skillful and engrossing, never more so than when it captures wrenchingly painful moments in people’s lives with a detachment that keeps the focus on the subjects rather than shifting to Talankin. Read full review
80
The New YorkerRichard BrodyJan 23, 2026
An exemplary work of cinematic modernism, a reflexive film that turns its genesis into its subject and its moral essence. Read full review
80
ColliderTherese LacsonFeb 7, 2025
While the plight of Ukraine is undeniably horrific, Mr. Nobody Against Putin shows a very real cost and the damaging ripple effect this invasion will have on Russian civilians. Read full review
80
Screen DailyAmber WilkinsonFeb 1, 2025
While not seeking to paint all Russians as ‘victims’ and explicitly acknowledging the situation is far worse for Ukranians, Talankin’s footage comes as a reminder of children as the innocent victims of war. Read full review
80
The GuardianAdrian HortonFeb 1, 2025
Mr Nobody Against Putin ultimately stands as both an act of service and a tribute – to a school that once was, to students whose lives were and will be irrevocably changed for the worse by the regime, to a once fruitful job. Talankin has produced a must-watch, indelible document of ideological warfare that echoes far beyond Russia. How’s that for a nobody? Read full review
80
The Daily BeastNick SchagerJan 25, 2025
An endearing, infuriating, and despairing non-fiction portrait of a country’s final descent into oppressive authoritarianism, all of it shot covertly by one brave teacher, it’s a striking work of rebel cinema. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineLauren WissotJan 16, 2026
The film starkly reveals the toll propaganda takes on everyday individuals and communities. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinFeb 10, 2026
Borenstein and Talankin keep the focus mainly on the kids and the slow creep of authoritarianism, rather than the adults, but Pasha’s voiceover and occasional address to camera hint at qualities the filmmakers seem hesitant to discuss. Read full review
70
The New York TimesNatalia WinkelmanJan 22, 2026
The documentary tries to heighten the stakes of Talankin’s story by casting his efforts under a pall of danger, dread or distress. But these bids for drama are far less persuasive than the horrifying raw footage Talankin captures, such as one scene in which young students are coached to march down a hallway, as if preparing for battle. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubJacob OllerFeb 1, 2025
Plenty of the film feels vital—its observations of a nation’s shifting attitude towards war, towards hate, is crushing and familiar. Read full review
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