The Berlin Syndrome

2017

Johnny's comments

Finally gotten around to seeing the German set Australian movie Berlin Syndrome in cinemas on Tuesday (finally remembered to write about it...) despite it being out since April 27. Starring Teresa Palmer as an Australian backpacker in Berlin who meets a local English teacher (played by Max Riemelt) and falls for him and despite her plans to keep travelling, decides to stay to be with him. After a night of pleasure at his out-of-the-way place, he goes to work and leaves her at his apartment. When she goes to leave, she finds that she is locked in and that he's taken her sim card, so she waits for him to come home, laugh about the misunderstanding and spend another night together with the promise that he has left the key for her to leave. Except the key doesn't work and she's locked in again and the windows are suspiciously reinforced. When he finally comes home, she wants to leave, but he won't let her and ties her up. Now, she is his captive and he forces a domestic relationship with her while he goes about his daily routine. She tries to escape, but doesn't get far and slowly over time he grinds her down but there's always the notion that he may harm her, more so when she finds out she's not the first.

Ha, I just realised the similarities to Hounds Of Love except it's a little less threatening and the captor and captive have a very different type of relationship. A pretty decent movie that seems to go on and on at almost 2 hours and does end in a most unlikely fashion, but not a bad movie.

Teresa Palmer collages below