Phoenix

2015 • 98 minutes
4.4
33 reviews
98%
Tomatometer
PG-13
Rating
Eligible
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About this movie

A spellbinding mystery of identity, illusion, and deception unfolds against the turmoil of post-World War II Germany in the stunning new film from acclaimed director Christian Petzold (Barbara, Jerichow). Nelly (Nina Hoss), a German-Jewish nightclub singer, has survived a concentration camp, but with her face disfigured by a bullet wound. After undergoing reconstructive surgery, Nelly emerges with a new face, one similar but different enough that her former husband, Johnny (Ronald Zehrfeld), doesn't recognize her. Rather than reveal herself, Nelly walks into a dangerous game of duplicity and disguise as she tries to figure out if the man she loves may have been the one who betrayed her to the Nazis. Evoking the shadows and haunted mood of post-war Berlin, Phoenix weaves a complex tale of a nation's tragedy and a woman's search for answers as it builds towards an unforgettable, heart-stopping climax.
Rating
PG-13

Ratings and reviews

4.4
33 reviews
g shute
November 23, 2018
This is a truly powerful, surreal, disturbing story. Worth watching a dozen times. We look back so many years at these beautiful, broken survivors of this time, trying to carry on but so hollowed out, so close to their absolute limit. There are a few scenes that are perhaps a little too self consciously noir... but some memories feel like encroaching madness so they have to be held at arm's length.
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Brinley Dezember
June 6, 2016
Love this filmmaker. My favorite movie of his so far, but I can't wait to see more!
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Fernando Diaz (Fér)
June 19, 2016
Just a magnificent story and a heartfelt ending.
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