Christian Petzoldis one of the most exciting international directors worth checking out, with movies that range from a reimagination of fantastical German myths to intense post-World War II thrillers. Following the train of thought of legendary filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock, Roberto Rossellini, and Eric Rohmer, Petzold portrays cities and the places people come and go as actual characters, as well-developed as his protagonists. In his movies, Germany and its troubled past materialize the aspirations and frustrations of its inhabitants.
With over 10 feature movies in his enriching filmography, Petzold is now considered one of thebest directors in the worldworking today. He’s certainly one of the most active filmmakers in Germany and a vital contributor to the country’s growing contemporary film scene. Although Petzold’s fascination with the past is evident, he never settles on a single topic, always exploring a dose of romance through the most unexpected themes and scenarios. Here are his best movies, ranked.
7Ghosts (2005)
Ghostsis one of Petzold’s early works and effectively applies his thriller dynamics to a contrasting drama filled with melancholy to the bone. The film alternates between the perspectives of two tragic women; Nina, an orphan, and Françoise, a mother whose daughter was kidnapped. Their paths cross with drastic consequences for everyone involved. Nina is experiencing a burning, yet disastrous romance when Françoise becomes convinced she’s her missing daughter.
What Makes It Great
Ghostsintroduces some of the most notorious elements in Petzold’s filmography, such as the mysteries of memory and identity displacement, but here, the contrasting nature of one’s own identity in the face of the identity perceived by others is the catalyst for the movie’s harrowing conflict.
Stream on Netflix
6Yella (2007)
Some will say Petzold is at his best whenever he delves deep into Germany’s tragic past with stories set in the conflicting heart of War. Setduring the Cold War,Yellais one of his best movies when it comes to exploring the delimitation of the physical and figurative space that divided the country.
The film revolves around an East German woman who sets out to a West German city to get rid of her abusive husband, only to discover the borders that set them apart are much more fragile than she anticipated. The main character is a foreigner in her own country: in the face of poor and richer regions, shattered spaces, and ghosts both dead and alive, she wanders about in search of her own place in a displaced land.
Yellais a haunting film about capitalism and Germany’s desire for reunification. A metaphysical thriller, it sits at a solid 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, whose critics unanimously praise Nina Hoss' performance.
Stream on MUBI
5The State I Am In (2000)
It’s somewhat ironic howThe State I AmInis the closest thing to a full-on espionage thriller Petzold has directed, while simultaneously being the closest thing to a coming-of-age made by him. Fans of the hit showThe Americanswill be happy to know there’s a German movie made precisely for them: in the film, Clara and Hans are former members of a left-wing terrorist group fleeing from the police for nearly fifteen years. After years on the run, the increasingly rebellious behavior of their teenage daughter Jeanne puts their safety at risk.
The best thing aboutThe State I Am Inis how the movie effectively lays out all its different storylines without ever getting off track. Petzold patiently conducts the narrative back and forth from the daughter and the parents' perspective, amping up the tension until the film’s powerful political subtext pays off in an intense and emotionally charged climax.
4Transit (2018)
Transitmarks Petzold’s first collaboration with his muse Paula Beer, who would join him in his latest projects. Set at theheight of World War II, the movie deals with the loss of identity and the search for a sense of belonging as Georg, a man trying to escape occupied France, falls in love with the wife of the dead man whose identity he assumed.
Distance is a recurring theme in Petzold’s movies but inTransitit gets a whole new meaning. In this story, distance no longer demarcates the space between one place and another: Georg and Marie find themselves so displaced from time and space that the distance of a couple of floors can feel as great and overwhelming as that of another continent. It’s all about the incomprehensible emotional gap between them and their desperate attempts to get ahold of each other.
Stream on Prime Video
These Are Some of the Best German Films Ever Made
Germany has helped lead world cinema with some incredible films about history and humanity, and these are just a few.
3Afire (2023)
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Afireis a2023 hidden gemmany film enthusiasts might have slept on, introducing a Petzold less interested in momentum to relocate his focus to the complex dynamics of genuine human connections.Afireis a gradual process, building up its narrative through small signals and words unsaid. The main character, Leon, is a moody and overbearing writer having a hard time finishing his latest novel. On the other hand, Nadja is a vibrant and charismatic woman who opens herself completely to the world around her. Their paths cross unexpectedly when their seaside vacation is threatened by menacing forest fires.
Afireis a brave meditation on the immediacy of life, prompting viewers to think twice about how they might be walking too fast, listening too little — merely acting as bystanders in their own life, stuck in a vicious cycle of perpetually waiting.
Rent on AppleTV
2Undine (2020)
Undineis Petzold’s reimagination of the undine, a water nymph whose immortal soul is put at risk if she happens to fall in love with a mortal man. In the film, this tale is brought to contemporary Berlin, where a woman named Undine tries to mend her broken heart in the company of Christoph, an industrial diver. Together they find magic in a disenchanted urban landscape, changing the trajectory of the myth.
Undineis Petzold’s most sensorial work to date, and consequently, his most intimate. The contrast between old and new, always present in his movies, couldn’t be more crystal clear here, bringing an ancient myth to a contemporary scenario and challenging both fiction and reality along the way. Just like the city of Berlin rebuilds itself into its archaic form, the main characters rebuild themselves through tokens of gratitude and submerged gestures.
Stream on Hulu
1Phoenix (2014)
Petzold’s best movie is also his most traditional one. In a narrative that breathes melodrama in every frame,Phoenixfollows Nelly, adisfigured Holocaust survivor, and her quest to find her husband, who may or may not have betrayed her to the Nazis.
Not only is the post-World War II subtext in the movie filled with longing and melancholy - with unforgettable sightings of Berlin in ruins and its citizens wandering aimlessly, still assimilating the wreckage that surrounds them - these emotions are precisely what craft the unique atmosphere of tension that emanates from every interaction between Nelly and her husband. The result is one of the best cinematic responses to Hitchcock’sVertigoever made and a final scene that will stick with viewers even after the credits begin to roll.
