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Alone in Berlin

Alone in Berlin

The truth was their resistance.

2016103 minRMidcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Director
Vincent Perez
Starring
Emma Thompson, Brendan Gleeson, Daniel Brühl, Mikael Persbrandt

Berlin in June of 1940. While Nazi propaganda celebrates the regime’s victory over France, a kitchen-cum-living room in Prenzlauer Berg is filled with grief. Anna and Otto Quangel’s son has been killed at the front. This working class couple had long believed in the ‘Führer’ and followed him willingly, but now they realise that his promises are nothing but lies and deceit. They begin writing postcards as a form of resistance and in a bid to raise awareness: Stop the war machine! Kill Hitler! Putting their lives at risk, they distribute these cards in the entrances of tenement buildings and in stairwells. But the SS and the Gestapo are soon onto them, and even their neighbours pose a threat.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Alone in Berlin?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Alone in Berlin streaming on AMC+, Paramount+ via Apple TV and Sundance Now via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Alone in Berlin?

Alone in Berlin earns 4 badges, led by Standout acting and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Alone in Berlin worth watching?

Alone in Berlin's Midcredits score is the 61st percentile of all films, from 16K ratings across 6 sources. 56% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

61st percentile

Better received than 61% of films

62nd percentile among Drama62nd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)60th
Approval (how many liked it)61st

64 /100

60th percentile of all films

61st percentile among Drama60th percentile among 2010s

Critics 52 · Audience 65

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.6 — solid but not unanimous.

56% liked it

61st percentile of all films

60th percentile among Drama61st percentile among 2010s
56% rated it 7–1044% rated it 1–6

Critics 58% · Audience 53%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

87th percentile

16K ratings across platforms

89th percentile among Drama88th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 2% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$8.9K
Domestic gross$33K
Worldwide gross$1.2M

62nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A subdued, slow-moving period piece about a couple's small-scale anti-Nazi postcard campaign.

Fans praised

  • Understated performances with quiet dignity
  • Based-on-truth story of humble civilian resistance
  • Portrayal of grief transmuted into silent rebellion

Detractors panned

  • Dour, flavorless, monotone drama lacking tension
  • Superficial adaptation that feels staged and anticlimactic
  • English-with-German-accent conceit rings false

What stands out

Acting78

Thompson and Gleeson's minimalist, dignified lead performances

Atmosphere65

Paranoid, drab, convincing period Berlin with Nazi regalia

Emotional impactDivisive60

Moves some viewers but feels underfelt to others

Characters55

Sketchily written roles, lacking psychological depth

OriginalityDivisive55

Fresh angle on German domestic resistance, but conventional WWII drama

Plot and story48

Slight, repetitive card-drop story with little incident

Pacing35

Slow-moving, monotonous, stodgy

Tension35

Lacks suspense despite high-stakes premise

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 7 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Alone in Berlin like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and bittersweet: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want a story that moves you and leaves an ache.

It takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Moving and bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: Moods
MelancholicTense
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.
TonePlays its material straight with a somber, earnest gravity, never undercutting the tension or emotional weight.
The rideThe mood is steadily melancholic due to grief and tense due to the dangerous leaflet campaign, with the heaviest emotional weight expected as consequences mount near the end.
StructureTold in a conventional three-act structure, with a framing device that opens and closes the story.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingDevastating · 3% of films
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves a heavy argument about dissent and complicity running, while the tragic fate of the protagonists lingers as a devastating weight.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% (this title) · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Oppressive state: A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA grieving couple's small-scale protest against an oppressive regime, seeking to expose its lies through handwritten cards.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% (this title) · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% (this title) · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% (this title) · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Parenthood · 2% of filmsOppression · 4% of filmsGrief · 6% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film is driven by a couple's grief for their son and their defiant response to a repressive regime.
StanceThe film questions what ordinary people can do against an oppressive regime while mourning the personal cost.

The world

Mid 20th centuryUrbanDomesticRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Alexandre Desplat
SettingNazi-era Berlin, working-class neighbourhood
MusicAlexandre Desplat's score likely underscores the tension and grief with a restrained orchestral palette.

Content guide

Is Alone in Berlin okay for kids?

R

Alone in Berlin is rated R: “Rated R for brief violence” (MPAA). As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (61/100), sexual content at mild (22/100), language at moderate (44/100) and frightening material at severe (80/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 13 other countries
  • UK12
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceU
  • Ireland12
  • JapanG
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil12
  • GreeceΚ-12
  • ItalyT
  • Netherlands12
  • PortugalM/12
  • Sweden15
Overall
Moderate · 4 of 5 categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Intense
too few votes to rank (6 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Mild
too few votes to rank (6 votes)
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Severe
too few votes to rank (5 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (26 votes across 4 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Alone in Berlin have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Alone in Berlin?

Cast

3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Emma Thompson
as Anna Quangel
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Brendan Gleeson
as Otto Quangel
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Daniel Brühl
as Kriminal Inspektor Escherich
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Mikael Persbrandt
as Standartenführer Prall
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Katharina Schüttler
as Claire Gehrich
Louis Hofmann
as Hans Quangel
Rafael Gareisen
as Policeman Herbert Wegner
Hildegard Schroedter
as Grocer Lady Ida Kuhn
Ernst Stötzner
as Department Head Walter
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Godehard Giese
as Colonel Gerhard Krüger

Crew

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What are movies like Alone in Berlin?

Movies like Alone in Berlin include Churchill (2017), Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman (2005) and To Live (1994). Of the 12 closest matches, several are prison dramas, and half are films set during World War II.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

3 of these 12 share its subject: parenthood. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Alone in Berlin?

682 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: prison drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.