Phoenix

"A Gripping Noirish Study of Treachery, Identity and Survival."

2014 1h 38m DE

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 514

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In the aftermath of WWII, German-Jewish cabaret singer Nelly has to undergo facial reconstructive surgery following her survival from Auschwitz. Without recognising Nelly, her former husband Johnny asks her to help him claim his wife’s inheritance. To see if he's betrayed her, she agrees, becoming her own doppelgänger.

“A Gripping Noirish Study of Treachery, Identity and Survival.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

PhiloSubscription

AMC+ Amazon ChannelSubscription

AMC+ Roku Premium ChannelSubscription

Sundance NowSubscription

MUBI Amazon ChannelSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

YouTubeRent

Amazon VideoBuy

Apple TV StoreBuy

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Cast

Nina Hoss
Nelly Lenz
Ronald Zehrfeld
Johnny Lenz
Nina Kunzendorf
Lene Winter
Trystan Pütter
Soldat an Brücke
Michael Maertens
Arzt
Imogen Kogge
Elisabeth
Felix Römer
Geiger
Uwe Preuss
Clubbesitzer

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Christian Petzold
Writers: Harun Farocki, Christian Petzold
Languages: German, English
Countries: Germany

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 12 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Christian Petzold, shot by Hans Fromm. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Stefan Will. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Bettina Böhler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Nina Hoss and Ronald Zehrfeld and Nina Kunzendorf carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A Gripping Noirish Study of Treachery, Identity and Survival.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt2764784 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Christian Petzold directs. Hans Fromm behind the camera. Stefan Will scores. Bettina Böhler cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Germany. Dialogue in German, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 12 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: German, English.
3Directed by Christian Petzold, shot by Hans Fromm. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Stefan Will. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Bettina Böhler shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Nina Hoss and Ronald Zehrfeld and Nina Kunzendorf carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "A Gripping Noirish Study of Treachery, Identity and Survival.".
8IMDB entry: tt2764784 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 9 themes, including "berlin, germany", "based on novel or book", "world war ii", "auschwitz-birkenau concentration camp".

The technical file

Cinematography: Hans Fromm
Original score: Stefan Will
Editing: Bettina Böhler
Production design: Klaus-Dieter Gruber
Costume design: Anette Guther
Makeup / hair: Alexandra Lebedynski
Sound: Martin Steyer
Stunt coordinator: Rainer Werner
Runtime: 98 min · 1h 38m
Status: Released
Box office: $5,855,623
Original language: DE
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Phoenix (2014)

Also by

Christian Petzold

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2026-05-20
★ 7/10
With much of Germany in ruins following the end of the War, "Nelly" (Nina Hoss) returns to a Berlin that is almost as unrecognisable to her as her recently reconstructed face is to everyone else. She hasn't any money, but the kindly "Mrs. Winter" (Nina Kunzendorf) and her housekeeper "Elizabeth" (Imogen Kogge) take her in. It's whilst "Nelly" is revisiting some of their pre-war haunts that she encounters "Johnny" (Ronald Zehrfeld). He doesn't recognise his long-lost wife any more, but curiously suggests to this stranger that she does resemble her a little and that she could make $20,000 if she agreed to pose as his wife and help him claim her (own) inheritance. Initially unhappy with this proposal, she quickly realises that it could give her a chance to discover some of the truth behind her own arrest and imprisonment as well as his role in any or all of that. Meantime, "Mrs. Winter" has been doing some digging of her own and having armed "Nelly" with quite a crucial piece of information, she is soon in a quite an emotional quandary. As ever with Hoss, she does much of her acting with gesture and expression, and here even whilst under a sea of facial bandages she manages to convey an impression of vulnerability that evolves into something altogether more confident. The charismatic Zehrfeld also delivers strongly here and despite the venality of his proposal and certain other slightly disreputable things we learn about his character, I still couldn't quite bring myself to dislike him as I probably ought to have done. The denouement isn't as conclusive as I would have liked, but perhaps that's for the best as maybe reconciliation - and a degree of dawning realisation - is most fitting.

Production companies