The Lives of Others (2006)

2006·Drama, Thriller·Dir. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
S.W.’s Scores
Continuity
+6
Entertainment
+5
Rewatchability
+3
CastUlrich Mühe, Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch
StreamingPrime Video (rent), Apple TV (rent)
S.W.’s Verdict
A Stasi agent assigned to spy on a playwright starts listening to the art instead of the subversion. Ulrich Mühe plays a man whose entire worldview collapses in real time, and he does it almost entirely with his eyes. The final line of the film is one of the most earned emotional payoffs in cinema. East Germany as a setting does what good horror does — makes you feel watched.

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