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Limonov: The Ballad of Eddie

Limonov: The Ballad of Eddie

2024138 minMidcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Director
Kirill Serebrennikov
Starring
Ben Whishaw, Viktoria Miroshnichenko, Masha Mashkova, Tomas Arana

A revolutionary militant, a thug, an underground writer, a butler to a millionaire in Manhattan. But also a switchblade-waving poet, a lover of beautiful women, a warmonger, a political agitator, and a novelist who wrote of his greatness. Eduard Limonov’s life story is a journey through Russia, America, and Europe during the second half of the 20th century.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Limonov: The Ballad of Eddie?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Limonov: The Ballad of Eddie streaming on Strand Releasing via Prime Video and The Criterion Channel and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Limonov: The Ballad of Eddie?

Limonov: The Ballad of Eddie earns 3 badges, led by Award Winner and Thought-provoking.

  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Limonov: The Ballad of Eddie worth watching?

Limonov: The Ballad of Eddie's Midcredits score is the 38th percentile of all films, from 12K ratings across 5 sources. 37% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

38th percentile

Better received than 38% of films

13th percentile among Biography39th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)43rd
Approval (how many liked it)33rd

60 /100

43rd percentile of all films

19th percentile among Biography45th percentile among 2020s

Critics 61 · Audience 59

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.6 — solid but not unanimous.

37% liked it

33rd percentile of all films

11th percentile among Biography35th percentile among 2020s
37% rated it 7–1063% rated it 1–6

Critics 63%

The Rotten Tomatoes critic score.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 1 noms overall

90th percentile

12K ratings across platforms

76th percentile among Biography91st percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 46% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$11M
Worldwide gross$380K

Returned 0.0× its budget — 24th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

An ambitious, visually striking, uneven portrait of a chaotic and contradictory figure.

Fans praised

  • Ben Whishaw's magnetic, high-energy performance captures Limonov's chaos
  • Bold, surreal visuals and strong production design
  • Non-traditional biopic structure, ambitious and kaleidoscopic

Detractors panned

  • Noisy but lifeless, feels like coolness-cosplay
  • Baggy, undisciplined, disjointed pacing
  • Blinkered, enamored with its antihero, omits key aspects

What stands out

ActingDivisive78

Whishaw's magnetic, expressive portrayal; strong support

CinematographyDivisive75

Striking visuals, long shots, but occasionally excessive

OriginalityDivisive72

Ballsy, non-Hollywood biopic approach

AtmosphereDivisive72

Captures Russian soul and chaotic life

CharactersDivisive70

Complex, well-structured protagonist, but support secondary

Sound and musicDivisive68

Strong Russian music choices, but not great in places

Plot and storyDivisive55

Intriguing but uneven, disjointed structure

PacingDivisive45

Slow, uninviting stretches; baggy and undisciplined

Watch experience

What is Limonov: The Ballad of Eddie like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something to think about afterwards.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
TenseContemplativeAbsurd
Heaviest: middle
Dark humor
Register
Absurdist · 7% of films: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.Irreverent · 1% of films
Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.Episodic · 13% of films: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.
ToneThe film matches its subject's provocative energy with a fast, fragmented style that is simultaneously serious and irreverent, often bordering on the absurd.
The rideReviews describe an uneven, disjointed journey with chaotic life episodes, suggesting high volatility and a tense, contemplative mood, with the heaviest weight likely during the political antihero phase in the middle.
StructureThe narrative jumps across Limonov's life in different countries and periods, with reviews noting a fragmented, revved-up structure that reflects his chaotic existence.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves the viewer wrestling with Limonov's contradictions and the chaotic eras he moved through, offering no easy moral resolution.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThe film is a biographical character study of Eduard Limonov, tracking his transformation from Soviet poet to American exile to French literary figure to Russian political firebrand. It does not follow a single classical plot archetype, instead presenting a kaleidoscopic portrait across decades.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% (this title) · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% (this title) · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsAmbition · 7% of filmsFame · 3% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the radical transformations of Eduard Limonov's persona — poet, bum, sensation, antihero — interrogating who he fundamentally is as he reinvents himself across cultures and roles.
StanceThe film examines Limonov's shifting identity without settling on a judgment, questioning the nature of his transformations and their impact on society.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanStylized realism
Orchestral modernElectronicFolkSupportive music · hybrid
SettingSoviet underground, New York streets, Paris salons, Russian politics across the late 20th century
MusicReviews mention strong music choices incorporating Russian soul, but the composer is not identified.

Content guide

Is Limonov: The Ballad of Eddie okay for kids?

As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (56/100), sexual content at severe (83/100), language at moderate (56/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (78/100) and frightening material at intense (67/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 8 other countries
  • France12
  • JapanR15+
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil16
  • Italy6+
  • Spain18
  • Taiwan15+
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Severe
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Intense
too few votes to rank (3 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (16 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Limonov: The Ballad of Eddie have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Limonov: The Ballad of Eddie?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Ben Whishaw
as Eddie
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Viktoria Miroshnichenko
as Elena
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Masha Mashkova
as Anna
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Tomas Arana
as Stephen
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Corrado Invernizzi
as Lonya
Evgeniy Mironov
as Kuznetsov
Andrey Burkovskiy
as Poet
Odin Lund Biron
as Ethan
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Sandrine Bonnaire
as Radio Host Paris
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Louis-Do de Lencquesaing
as Intellectual Paris
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.

Crew

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