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Berlin Syndrome (film)

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Berlin Syndrome
Theatrical release poster
Directed byCate Shortland
Screenplay byShaun Grant
Based onBerlin Syndrome
by Melanie Joosten
Produced byPolly Staniford
Starring
CinematographyGermain McMicking
Edited byJack Hutchings
Music byBryony Marks
Production
companies
Distributed by
  • Entertainment One (Australia)
  • Netflix (France)
Release dates
  • January 20, 2017 (2017-01-20) (Sundance)
  • April 20, 2017 (2017-04-20) (Australia)
  • August 27, 2017 (2017-08-27) (France)
Running time
116 minutes
Countries
  • Australia
  • France[1]
Languages
  • English
  • German
Box office$788,191[2]

Berlin Syndrome is a 2017 psychological horror thriller film directed by Cate Shortland from a screenplay by Shaun Grant, based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Melanie Joosten. The film follows a young Australian photographer (Teresa Palmer) who travels to Germany, where she meets an attractive young English teacher (Max Riemelt). Waking up after a stormy night of passion with him, the photographer is suddenly taken hostage by her would-be lover.

Berlin Syndrome had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 20 January 2017 and was released in Australia on 20 April 2017 by Entertainment One. The film received very positive reviews from critics, with many praising the atmosphere, and the performances of Palmer and Riemelt.

Plot

While exploring Berlin, Australian backpacker and photographer Clare meets a local man named Andi who teaches English at a nearby school. They spend the day together and then go back to Andi's apartment where they have sex. The following morning while Andi is at work, Clare awakes and finds herself locked inside. Upon his return, he tells her he forgot to leave her a key, and she spends another night after they go out dancing.

The next day, Clare discovers he has written the word meine (German for 'mine') on her shoulder and has also stolen her SIM card from her phone. Realising Andi has no intention of letting her go, Clare attempts to escape by smashing one of the windows, but finds they are double paned and reinforced with plexiglass. She also realises all of the other apartments in the building are abandoned. When Andi returns home, Clare begs him to let her go but he refuses, and begins restraining her to the bed while he is at work, leaving Clare to soil herself.

Andi has dinner with his father, Erich, and tells him he is dating Clare. Erich asks what happened to his previous girlfriend Natalie, and Andi tells him she went back to Canada. That night when Andi lets Clare shower, she is horrified to find a clump of long blonde hair in the drain, indicating she is not his first victim. Meanwhile, Andi texts Clare's mother posing as her, informing her she is well.

Clare finds a screwdriver under the sofa and, when Andi comes home, she stabs him in the hand before fleeing the apartment. Andi manages to catch up with her in the courtyard downstairs, bringing Clare back inside after breaking her fingers. Later on, Franka, one of Andi's students, shows up at his apartment; she flirts with him as he has previously shown interest in her at school, but when Franka briefly spots Clare, Andi tells her she is his girlfriend and then threatens to report her behaviour to the school, causing her to leave.

As time goes on, Andi continues with his bizarre behaviour, which includes taking pictures of Clare in disturbing positions, cutting off pieces of her hair, and retreating to a locked room. Andi later discovers his father has passed away. Depressed, he spends a week at his father's house, leaving Clare alone in the apartment with the power turned off. When Andi returns, she comforts him and they have sex. As the holidays approach, Clare's mood seems to brighten; she learns to play the accordion and bakes treats for Andi. Andi gifts her his father's dog for company, but kills him days later when he becomes jealous of their bond.

Andi takes Clare outside for the first time in months, to a forest where he plans to kill her with an axe. Before he can, they are interrupted by two young boys, one who has injured his leg. Clare quietly begs the other to go for help but he doesn't understand English. On New Years Eve while Andi attends a work party, Clare eventually breaks into the locked room and finds photo albums filled with Polaroids of a blonde woman, presumably Natalie. Later that night, Clare sees a man outside shining a flashlight at the apartment windows; she screams for help and he attempts to rescue her, but Andi returns home and kills him with a crowbar. Andi forces Clare to help him wrap the body in plastic, telling her it's her fault he is dead. Andi then takes the body outside and burns it in a dumpster in the courtyard.

More time passes and Clare seemingly appears to enjoy life with Andi. One afternoon when she sees him grading his student's workbooks, she secretly hides a Polaroid in Franka's. Days later at school, Franka finds the picture, one of Clare bound and gagged. She flees the room in shock and the picture falls to the floor, which begins to get passed around by the other students. When it is discovered by Andi, he leaves the school in a panic. He arrives home to find the courtyard door open and the locked box of Clare's possessions open and empty. Clare lures Andi in, hiding on the floor above his apartment. When he goes into the apartment, she calls his name and, before he can react, she locks him inside. Clare then rescues Franka from upstairs.

The ending sees Clare enjoying her freedom as she rides in a cab through Berlin's busy streets.

Cast

  • Teresa Palmer as Clare Havel
  • Max Riemelt as Andi Werner
  • Matthias Habich as Erich Werner, Andi's father
  • Emma Bading as Franka Hummels
  • Elmira Bahrami as Jana
  • Christoph Franken as Peter
  • Lara Marie Müller as Silke
  • Viktor Baschmakov as Benni
  • Mascha Wolf as Mascha
  • Matthias Russel as Jakob
  • Lucie Aron as Elodie Zadikan
  • Morgane Ferru as Jesie Lamarque
  • Thuso Lekwape as Billy Dharma
  • Nassim Avat as Aron Hurwitz

Production

Producer Polly Staniford, actor Max Riemelt and director Cate Shortland at the Berlinale 2017

The film is based on the novel of the same name by Melanie Joosten, and the title is a reference to Stockholm syndrome. According to director Cate Shortland, the character of Andi had romanticised and idealised the East Germany of his childhood, and wanted to recreate a utopia in his own life.[3]

In May 2015, Teresa Palmer and Max Riemelt joined the cast.[4] Riemelt was chosen from a shortlist of 10 male actors. [3]

Filming

Production began in September 2015 in Berlin. For two weeks prior to filming, Palmer and Riemelt stayed together in a small apartment similar to the one on the set.[3]

In November 2015, filming moved to Docklands Studios Melbourne in Australia.[5]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 20 January 2017.[6][7] Prior to Entertainment One, Curzon Artificial Eye, Vertical Entertainment and Netflix acquired Australian, United Kingdom, and United States distribution rights, respectively.[8][9] It was released in Australia on 20 April,[10] in the United States on 5 May,[11] and in the United Kingdom on 9 June 2017.[12]

Reception

Box office

Berlin Syndrome has grossed $28,660 in the United States and Canada, and $759,531 in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $788,191, sales of its DVD/Blu-ray releases have cashed $22,663.[2]

Critical response

Berlin Syndrome was met with positive reviews. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 76% based on 90 reviews, and an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Berlin Syndrome offers thriller fans an uncommonly well-written descent into dangerous obsession, enlivened by taut direction and a committed performance from Teresa Palmer."[13] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[14]

Accolades

Award Category Subject Result
AACTA Awards
(7th) 		Best Film Polly Staniford Nominated
Best Direction Cate Shortland Nominated
Best Adapted Screenplay Shaun Grant Nominated
Best Actress Teresa Palmer Nominated
Best Editing Jack Hutchings Nominated
Best Original Music Score Bryony Marks Nominated
Best Production Design Melinda Doring Nominated
Best Costume Design Maria Pattison Nominated
AFCA Awards Best Film Berlin Syndrome Nominated
Best Director Cate Shortland Nominated
Best Actress Teresa Palmer Nominated
Best Screenplay Shaun Grant Nominated
Best Cinematography Germain McMicking Nominated
ASSG Award Best Achievement in Sound for Film Sound Recording Dane Cody, Auryn Lacy, Steffen Graubaum, Felix Kaufmann & Tom Herdman Nominated
Best Achievement in Sound for Film Sound Mixing Sam Gain-Emery, Phil Heywood (re-recording mixer) & Glenn Humphries Nominated
AWGIE Award Best Writing in a Feature Film - Adaptation Shaun Grant Nominated
Dallas International Film Festival Grand Jury Prize - Narrative Feature Competition Cate Shortland Nominated
FCCA Awards Best Film Polly Staniford Nominated
Best Director Cate Shortland Nominated
Best Actress Teresa Palmer Nominated
Best Cinematography Germain McMicking Nominated
Best Original Score Bryony Marks Won
Best Editing Jack Hutchings Nominated
Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize - World Cinema — Dramatic Cate Shortland Nominated

References

  1. ^ a b "Berlin Syndrome (2016)". British Film Institute. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Berlin Syndrome (2017)". The Numbers. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Brunner, Ula (16 February 2017). "Ich fühle mich gleichzeitig fremd und vertraut hier" (in German). Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg. Archived from the original on 9 September 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  4. ^ Jagernauth, Kevin. "Teresa Palmer To Lead Cate Shortland's 'Berlin Syndrome'". Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  5. ^ AZA (4 November 2015). "CATE SHORTLAND'S NEW FILM "BERLIN SYNDROME" STARTS SHOOTING IN MELBOURNE". The Low Down Under. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  6. ^ Debruge, Peter. "Sundance Film Festival Unveils 2017 Competition, Next Lineups". Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  7. ^ "Berlin Syndrome". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  8. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. "Vertical & Netflix Acquire Sundance Pic 'Berlin Syndrome'". Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  9. ^ Goodfellow, Melanie (5 November 2015). "Artificial Eye snaps up Palmer-starring 'Berlin Syndrome'". Screen International. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  10. ^ "Berlin Syndrome". Village Cinemas. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  11. ^ "Berlin Syndrome". Variety Insight. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  12. ^ "Berlin Syndrome". Launching Films. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  13. ^ "Berlin Syndrome (2017)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  14. ^ "Berlin Syndrome Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Berlin Syndrome (film).
  • Berlin Syndrome at IMDb
  • ‹The template AllMovie title is being considered for deletion.› Berlin Syndrome at AllMovie
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