Abgeschnitten

Christian Alvart, who directed Pandorum and Case 39, makes his presence known after ten years with a decent German thriller. The story revolves around a pathologist who finds his daughter's number in a corpse that has been kidnapped by a sadistic psychopath, unleashing a cat and mouse hunt where the protagonist will have to search for clues to find his daughter. It stars the traditionally excellent Moritz Bleibtreu, one of the best actors in German cinema, and there are some nicely depicted viscera, especially during the autopsy. The overall experience was spoiled for me by the jumbled subtitles and it's perhaps a little too long, but otherwise decent. 65%. (12.11.2019)

I bow down before the Germans! Even though the film contains some slightly b-rated moments, and the entire premise ignores the concept of law enforcement, doing what it wants with the story, the atmosphere is that of a solid mysterious thriller, the king among which will probably forever be Fincher’s Seven. This might be the first time I saw the Germans realize how to properly use the seaside locations in the north of Germany to make a film reminiscent of the best Scandinavian mysteries. It’s been a long time I enjoyed a thriller as much as this one. (28.11.2019)

The primary reason I watched the film was the lead actor, Moritz Bleibtreu. It just didn't quite sit right with me in terms of its genre classification, given his name, but lo and behold, it worked. I would never have believed that I would be scared and biting my nails in suspense at a German horror movie. Christian Alvart did cram in a bit too many twists in the final minutes, which felt somewhat rushed, but he ultimately managed to steer the final scene with some degree of dignity. (75%) (09.05.2021)

This movie was right up my alley. The filmmakers really pulled out all the stops and made a film zipped by like blood on an autopsy table, the story made sense, the plot was just right, the cast was solid, and I got a kick out of watching Linda's transformation. And those morgue details? Morbidly fascinating. I rarely enjoy a German thriller, but this one had me hooked. Sure, there were a few hiccups along the way, like the annoyingly clichéd finale or the landlines not working except for the one in the morgue, but I'm giving it a solid four stars. / Lesson learned: With the right motivation, you can achieve almost anything. (12.05.2024)

An above-average German thriller, reminiscent of Saw in its scenes and classic Nordic detective films in its setting, with Christian Alvart expertly combining both elements. A pathologist finds a note in a corpse's head about his daughter's kidnapping and gradually follows clues that lead him through corpses to the final twist of "why him?". Along the way, the plot builds in quality, rawness, intensity and corpses. The cast is above standard, the pacing incredibly action packed and the script brilliantly written. The autopsy scenes were exquisite with pathologists' procedures not seen much in movies. I don't have too many complaints here, if the ending had felt smoother and not so overdone, I would have gone for a full score. An excellent film that should form at least a staple for any fan of the genre in recent times. (30.07.2020)