Watching a film that was made in your travel destination can be a great way prepare for your upcoming visit. Well-made films can capture the spirit of the place and its people, especially films that artistically evoke a different period.
I have listed below eight films and six television series with Berlin connections that I can personally endorse. These cover a variety of genres and eras. However, while respecting the greatness of classic cinema, I limited my list to films made no more than a few years before today’s college students were born. The 8 films on this list are from the 90s (1), 00s (4), and 10s (3), and the oldest television series started in 2016. Only one of the films and two of the series are in English and the rest are in German. Also, I generally preferred films that have a real Berlin feeling rather than just some scenes in Berlin. Note that because of the importance of Berlin throughout 20th century history, five of the films and three of the series are set in either WWII or the end of the Cold War during the fascinating period of a divided East and West Berlin to examine the broader notions of divides within society.
The films are listed below in chronological order. I included year of release, genre, and overall IMDB rating. I also added a sentence or two of background and context. As a bonus at the end of the list I included some other notables to consider and also some to avoid.
Run Lola Run 1998 thriller IMDB: 7.6/10
This fast-paced, high-energy thriller with a techno soundtrack was popular with critics and audiences. This film introduced Franka Potente to global audiences; she later starred in The Bourne Identity.
Liam’s take: Fast paced, although a tiny bit repetitive by design. This movie really gave insight into what being in Berlin would be like.
Goodbye, Lenin! 2003 comedy 7.7
Set in East Berlin around the time of the fall of the Wall, this comedy won many awards for best film of the year.
Downfall 2004 drama 8.2
This film follows Hitler’s final days in the bunker in Berlin. Bruno Ganz delivers a powerful performance in the title role. You may recognize some of the scenes that have since been used in literally thousands of internet memes.
The Lives of Others 2006 drama 8.4
This won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film and is considered a classic of modern German cinema. Made 17 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, this was the first German film to seriously examine life in the socialist regime of East Germany. In 2013, the Goethe Institute based in Munich surveyed tens of thousands of Europeans about their self-perceptions. For the question “What is the best European film?”, The Lives of Others was ranked second overall. First place was Life is Beautiful (see my Italy list), and Amelie was third (see my Paris list; The Intouchables, also on the Paris list, came in fifth).
The Baader Meinhof Complex 2008 drama 7.4
True story of the 1970s far-left domestic terrorist group, the Red Army Faction. A powerful window into the angst of the first post-war generation in West Germany. Starring Moritz Bleibtreu who played opposite Franke Potente in Run Lola Run. Controversial across the political spectrum, as those on the right saw it as glamorizing the terrorist gang, while those on the left thought the gang was not portrayed sufficiently heroically.
Victoria 2015 drama 7.7
The most amazing thing about this one is that the entire movie was shot in one continuous take. There are only a handful of other films that have tried this. Definitely none that are like this one. It follows our heroine through a crazy, harrowing night in Berlin. Won best film at the German Film Awards.
Atomic Blonde 2017 thriller 6.7
Another one set around the time of the fall of the Berlin Wall. This action spy thriller starring Charlize Theron was based on a graphic novel, and the film maintains some of these stylish elements. The soundtrack uses iconic songs from the era.
Liam’s take: Tells about a period that sets Germany apart from most of the rest of the world. Rare (yet good) to see a spy movie with a female lead character. Brought together the perfect amount of action and drama.
Never Look Away 2018 drama 7.7
This film is partially based on the life of Germany’s most famous contemporary visual artist, Gerhard Richter. The film follows the life and creative emergence of the young artist during the turbulent time in Germany between the end of the Second World War and the division between East and West Germany. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Film. It was directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and co-starred Sebastian Koch, both best known for The Lives of Others. Baby-faced Tom Schilling starred as the college-aged young artist, despite being 35 at the time of filming. He also appeared in The Baader Meinhof Complex and Woman in Gold (see my Vienna list), and he starred in the 2017 Netflix show The Same Sky. Miranda Bailey, the founder of the feminist critic site Cherrypicks, called Never Look Away “the best movie I’ve ever seen, in my entire life – ever – in my whole life.”
Berlin Station 2016-2019 spy drama 7.6
Created by noted spy novelist Olen Steinhauer, this American series for the second-tier channel Epix follows the modern CIA’s activities in Berlin trying to track down the source of leaked documents.
Babylon Berlin 2017 – present noir 8.4
This German series set in the roaring 1920s Weimar Republic has murder, mystery, and conspiracy infused with the cultural currents of the time but overlaid on the inevitable momentum that Germany’s society was heading towards. The theme song from Season 1 became a number one hit in Germany (see our song list for Berlin).
The Same Sky 2017 spy drama 7.5
This German production is set in 1970s Berlin and stars Tom Schilling (see Never Look Away above) as an East German spy trained in the art of seduction.
Counterpart 2017-2019 sci-fi drama 8.1
A sci-fi take on how the Berlin Wall is a divide not just of our society, but also between two dimensions. Amazingly, a sub-plot is about how a society recovers from a global pandemic with suspicions that its spread was caused by the geopolitical enemy. The “East German” dimension is recovering from the pandemic and has a lower population and you will notice many scenes of people wearing face masks. Remember this was made in 2017, years before COVID. Academy Award-winner JK Simmons is excellent in split-personality dual roles.
Dogs of Berlin 2018 crime drama 7.5
Finally, something in Berlin that is not about spies or East Germany. This German series produced for Netflix is a gritty (maybe even grim) view of the underbelly of contemporary Berlin with gangs, tensions with minority groups, soccer, and neo-Nazi hooligans.
Queer Eye: Germany 2022 reality/makeover 7.2
Spinoff from the very popular Netflix show, that is itself a reboot of the original from the early 2000s. The US version is widely praised for its positive role models from the LGBT community, and the German one has been hailed as possibly even better.
Liam recommends it: Provides a different perspective, as more everyday Germans are showcased. Brings to light some of the cultural differences between Germany and the US.
Here are some other candidates to consider and not consider.
Cabaret 1972 musical drama 7.8
Winner of eight Academy Awards and the vehicle that launched Liza Minnelli. Set in the Weimar Republic as fascism is rising this one is considered a classic. For a modern treatment of cabaret life in Weimar Germany, check out the Netflix show Babylon Berlin (2017-present).
Aeon Flux 2005 thriller 5.4
If you only watch one thriller starring Charlize Theron as a slinky assassin in Berlin settings – choose Atomic Blonde, not this one. Based on the iconic 1990s animated shorts by Peter Chung, this film made Chung “feel helpless, humiliated, and sad.”
Bourne Supremacy/Bourne Ultimatum 2004/2007 thriller 7.7/8
The Bourne films are largely set in European locales, including some featured scenes in Berlin. Lots of great action and chase scenes, but maybe you don’t really get a feeling for life in those places.