‘The Last Czars’ is a Sumptuous, Enthralling, NSFW Docudrama

Netflix has a brand new sumptuous docuseries for Russian history nerds, and it might be the streaming service’s most NSFW documentary yet.

The Last Czars is a stunning docudrama that blends historical testimonials with beautiful dramatic recreations. (Think The Crown, but with historians chiming in every now and again.) It’s intriguing, enthralling, and a wee bit naughtier than your typical History Channel fare. In between re-enactments of Nicholas and Alexandra’s coronation and rioting peasants, The Last Czars shows us religious orgies, full frontal male nudity, and the Czar and Czarina’s wedding night — with butts! Which is to say The Last Czars is fantastic, but maybe not for every middle school World History class.

The fall of the Romanovs is one of the most dramatic periods in world history, with an emphasis on the drama. Czar Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra were passionately in love, their children grew up in a loving home, and they lived in fabulous opulence while the peasants starved. The setting of Imperial Russia alone is bewitching, but this story also has a dangerous monk named Rasputin. Using a combination of mysticism and con artistry, Rasputin weaseled his way into Alexandra’s good graces by soothing the pain of her hemophiliac son. When Communism roared through the kingdom, these captivating people were at a loss to stop the tide of violence that would end their lives, and their dynasty.

The Last Czars relishes the opportunity to show us the soap opera aspect of Nicholas and Alexandra’s reign. There’s a spitfire Russian matriarch, a scheming uncle, and dazzling costumes. There’s also Rasputin. The Last Czars chooses to give the controversial figure his own origin story in Episode 1. The show follows the parallel paths of Czar Nicholas II’s family and Rasputin’s rise to power, putting the Russian rulers and the peasant monk on a collision course that would change global history.

In showing us these figures’ backstories, The Last Czars doesn’t skimp on the sex or violence. Nicholas and Alexandra’s wedding night takes on the golden gloss of a romance novel, while Rasputin’s time with a rebellious religious sect includes visceral displays of group sex. The orgies are moral, a historian explains, because God can’t forgive you if you haven’t sinned. This philosophy is explained while naked men and women cavort and cuddle on screen.

Even without all the naughty bits, The Last Czars is a really fun watch for history nerds. It gives the Romanovs’ story the dramatic luster it deserves, and features some historic context for what was unfolding.

The Last Czars is on Netflix today.

Watch The Last Czars on Netflix