Teresa Palmer stars as Clare, as Australian tourist visiting Berlin. She meets Andi (Max Riemelt), a seemingly charming teacher and spends the night with him. When Andi leaves for work the next day, Clare discovers that he has locked her in his apartment, where he continues to keep her imprisoned.
This film has gained a certain critical acclaim, but I can’t help feeling it is being given an easy ride because it is considered as an independent art house movie. After a decent opening act, I found it is nasty, exploitative, and lacking in surprises. Director Cate Shortland does generate some suspense as we build towards a climax where Clare might finally escape, but the ending itself is a damp squib, and I lost patience with the film before we reached that point.
Berlin Syndrome is showing in selected cinemas and is available on Curzon’s on demand service.
Rating: 4 out of 10