Variety
Between more trickily opaque stretches of character development, Shortland nails a handful of straight-up, nerve-shredding tension sequences, teasing a version of the film that might have tilted into full-bore horror.
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Berlin Syndrome
Teresa Palmer plays an Aussie in Berlin whose holiday fling gets creepy when she finds herself locked in her lover's apartment. From director Cate Shortland (Lore).
While holidaying in Berlin, Australian photojournalist Clare (Palmer) meets charismatic local man Andi (Max Riemelt). There is an instant attraction between them, and a night of passion ensues. But what initially appears to be the start of a romance suddenly takes an unexpected and sinister turn when Clare wakes the following morning to discover Andi has left for work and locked her in his apartment. An easy mistake to make, of course, except Andi has no intention of letting her go again.
2017Rating: MA15+, Strong themes, violence and sex scenes116 minsAustralia, German and English with English subtitles
Thriller
- Director:
- Cate Shortland ('Lore', 'Somersault')
- Writer:
- Shaun Grant
- Cast:
- Teresa PalmerMax RiemeltEmma BadingMatthias HabichLucie AronThuso Lekwape
Berlin Syndrome / Reviews
Screen Daily
Shortland takes a horror movie premise and imbues it with the knotty emotional complexity of a dysfunctional relationship psychodrama.
Full reviewRoger Ebert
Palmer and Shortland keep audiences on the edge of their seat for a bit too long (there's a tighter version within this nearly two-hour one) but this is still a confident, interesting thriller.
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News.com.au
It’s as if, in her desire not to be too florid or declamatory, Shortland has held a little too much back. This leaves the audience puzzling over some tantalising loose threads.
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Hollywood Reporter
This is a case of expert filmmaking craft applied to a familiar story that becomes unrelentingly grim and drawn-out after its masterful setup.
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