German Movies - Best Of
by MrFilmJunkie | created - 09 Jan 2013 | updated - 3 weeks ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. The NeverEnding Story (1984)
PG | 102 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
A troubled boy dives into a wondrous fantasy world through the pages of a mysterious book.
Director: Wolfgang Petersen | Stars: Noah Hathaway, Barret Oliver, Tami Stronach, Gerald McRaney
Votes: 156,936 | Gross: $20.16M
2. Run Lola Run (1998)
R | 80 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
After a botched money delivery, Lola has 20 minutes to come up with 100,000 Deutschmarks.
Director: Tom Tykwer | Stars: Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup, Nina Petri
Votes: 206,980 | Gross: $7.27M
3. System Crasher (2019)
125 min | Drama
9-year-old Benni is a toss-up between institutions that cannot tackle her outbursts. She wants to move in with her mother, but she can not handle her wild daughter. After Micha is hired Benni slowly opens up and attaches herself to him.
Director: Nora Fingscheidt | Stars: Helena Zengel, Albrecht Schuch, Gabriela Maria Schmeide, Lisa Hagmeister
Votes: 14,772
4. Das Boot (1981)
R | 149 min | Drama, War
A German U-boat stalks the frigid waters of the North Atlantic as its young crew experience the sheer terror and claustrophobic life of a submariner in World War II.
Director: Wolfgang Petersen | Stars: Jürgen Prochnow, Herbert Grönemeyer, Klaus Wennemann, Hubertus Bengsch
Votes: 264,330 | Gross: $11.49M
5. Elementarteilchen (2006)
113 min | Drama, Romance
Two half brothers in Berlin, 30+, one an introverted scientist, the other a sexually frustrated teacher, have no love life. That's about to change.
Director: Oskar Roehler | Stars: Moritz Bleibtreu, Christian Ulmen, Franka Potente, Martina Gedeck
Votes: 8,306
6. Agnes and His Brothers (2004)
Not Rated | 115 min | Comedy, Drama
This drama focuses on three very different siblings, all searching for happiness. Hans-Jörg is a sex addicted librarian, who is interested in young students. Werner is a successful ... See full summary »
Director: Oskar Roehler | Stars: Martin Weiß, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup, Katja Riemann
Votes: 1,821 | Gross: $0.00M
7. Bang Boom Bang - Ein todsicheres Ding (1999)
110 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A violent chain of events ensues as a jailed criminal arranges to buy a car from a shady car dealer, unaware that his partner in freedom has squandered most of the money from their last bank robbery on horse race betting.
Director: Peter Thorwarth | Stars: Oliver Korittke, Markus Knüfken, Ralf Richter, Diether Krebs
Votes: 10,829
8. Rage (2006 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 89 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Züli Aladag's critically acclaimed, but controversial movie deals with the conflict of Can, son of Turkish immigrants, and the Laubs, a supposedly liberal middle class family. Simon Laub, ... See full summary »
Director: Züli Aladag | Stars: Oktay Özdemir, Robert Höller, August Zirner, Corinna Harfouch
Votes: 771
9. The Experiment (2001)
R | 120 min | Drama, Thriller
For two weeks, 20 male participants are hired to play prisoners and guards in a prison. The "prisoners" have to follow seemingly mild rules, and the "guards" are told to retain order without using physical violence.
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel | Stars: Moritz Bleibtreu, Christian Berkel, Oliver Stokowski, Wotan Wilke Möhring
Votes: 96,093 | Gross: $0.14M
10. The Wave (2008)
Not Rated | 107 min | Drama, Thriller
A high school teacher's experiment to demonstrate to his students what life is like under a dictatorship spins horribly out of control when he forms a social unit with a life of its own.
Director: Dennis Gansel | Stars: Jürgen Vogel, Frederick Lau, Max Riemelt, Jennifer Ulrich
Votes: 115,100
11. Pelican Blood (2019)
121 min | Drama, Thriller
A woman who trains police horses adopts her second child, a severely traumatised 5-year-old girl. When the girl shows violent and anti-social behaviour, her new mother becomes determined to help her.
Director: Katrin Gebbe | Stars: Nina Hoss, Katerina Lipovska, Adelia-Constance Ocleppo, Murathan Muslu
Votes: 1,136
12. Picco (2010)
105 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
Kevin is new in youth prison. Due to over-occupancy he has to share a cell with Tommy, Andy and Marc. A partnership of convenience in a system where only the strong prevail and which is ... See full summary »
Director: Philip Koch | Stars: Constantin von Jascheroff, Joel Basman, Frederick Lau, Martin Kiefer
Votes: 768
13. Wetlands (2013)
Not Rated | 109 min | Comedy, Drama
The adventures of an eccentric girl who has strange attitudes towards hygiene and sexuality longs for the reunion of her divorced parents.
Director: David Wnendt | Stars: Carla Juri, Christoph Letkowski, Marlen Kruse, Meret Becker
Votes: 12,363 | Gross: $0.06M
14. Der Totmacher (1995)
110 min | Crime, Drama
Fritz Haarmann, who has killed at least 27 boys, is questioned by a psychology professor in order to find out whether he is sane and can be held responsible for his crimes. During this ... See full summary »
Director: Romuald Karmakar | Stars: Götz George, Jürgen Hentsch, Pierre Franckh, Hans-Michael Rehberg
Votes: 2,348
15. Downfall (2004)
R | 156 min | Biography, Drama, History
Traudl Junge, the final secretary for Adolf Hitler, tells of the Nazi dictator's final days in his Berlin bunker at the end of WWII.
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel | Stars: Bruno Ganz, Alexandra Maria Lara, Ulrich Matthes, Juliane Köhler
Votes: 375,198 | Gross: $5.51M
16. The Edukators (2004)
R | 127 min | Drama, Romance
Three activists cobble together a kidnapping plot after they encounter a businessman in his home.
Director: Hans Weingartner | Stars: Daniel Brühl, Julia Jentsch, Stipe Erceg, Burghart Klaußner
Votes: 32,376 | Gross: $0.18M
17. Tattoo (I) (2002)
R | 108 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
Two police detectives, a grizzled veteran and one fresh-faced rookie, hunt a ritualistic serial killer murdering people with tattoos and skinning them.
Director: Robert Schwentke | Stars: August Diehl, Christian Redl, Nadeshda Brennicke, Johan Leysen
Votes: 3,293
18. Werner - Beinhart! (1990)
93 min | Action, Animation, Comedy
Broesel has to make a Werner animation film but right now he has no real ideas for new stories. Thus he simply draws some stories from Werner's youth.
Directors: Gerhard Hahn, Niki List, Michael Schaack | Stars: Klaus Büchner, Andi Feldmann, Kulle Westphal, Rötger Feldmann
Votes: 6,230
19. 13 Semester (2009)
101 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
The friends Moritz and Dirk get accepted at the TU Darmstadt and leave their small home village in Brandenburg to set out for the big town to study business arithmetic (mathematical economics).
Director: Frieder Wittich | Stars: Max Riemelt, Dieter Mann, Robert Gwisdek, Amit Shah
Votes: 1,862
20. Changing Skins (1997 TV Movie)
90 min | Comedy, Drama
Inspired by West German terrorists, two pupils hijack a teacher in the GDR.
Director: Andreas Dresen | Stars: Susanne Bormann, Fabian Busch, Otto Mellies, Christel Peters
Votes: 160
21. No More School (2000)
99 min | Comedy, Drama
The last weeks of school have begun; before graduation, the boys catch their last chance to really have fun with friends and all the girls. From the life of a group of school pupils in a small town- the last days before real life begins
Director: Marco Petry | Stars: Daniel Brühl, Jasmin Schwiers, Niels-Bruno Schmidt, Mina Tander
Votes: 3,546
22. Night Shapes (1999)
101 min | Comedy, Drama
The Pope is in town and the night of his visit is anything but heavenly for some of Berlin's inhabitants. The down-and-out, the rich and the poor, the polizei, the street kids and taxi ... See full summary »
Director: Andreas Dresen | Stars: Myriam Abbas, Dominique Horwitz, Oliver Breite, Susanne Bormann
Votes: 723
23. Liegen lernen (2003)
87 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Helmut, living in West Germany in the early 1980s, has a big crush on a fellow student, Britta. He does everything to get to know her, but, when she suddenly moves away to San Francisco, he's devastated.
Director: Henk Handloegten | Stars: Fabian Busch, Susanne Bormann, Fritzi Haberlandt, Sophie Rois
Votes: 1,371
24. Rossini (1997)
114 min | Comedy
Jakob Windisch has written THE number one bestselling novel. Since he is very shy, no-one has seen him except Uhu Zigeuner who is the designated director of the film adaption. Zigeuner is ... See full summary »
Director: Helmut Dietl | Stars: Götz George, Mario Adorf, Heiner Lauterbach, Gudrun Landgrebe
Votes: 2,399
25. Das weiße Rauschen (2001)
103 min | Drama
Kati, Jochen and Lukas take a trip on magic mushrooms. Lukas is not coming back.
Directors: Hans Weingartner, Tobias Amann | Stars: Daniel Brühl, Anabelle Lachatte, Patrick Joswig, Karl Danguillier
Votes: 3,549
26. Parkour (2009)
92 min | Drama, Sport
Parkour is Marc Rensing's debut drama about a young man and his group of friends in an unnamed industrial town in Germany. The film is a captivating story of friendship, love, and jealousy ... See full summary »
Director: Marc Rensing | Stars: Christoph Letkowski, Nora Waldstätten, Marlon Kittel, Arved Birnbaum
Votes: 206
27. The Robber (2010)
Not Rated | 101 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
A story based on Johann Rettenberger, an Austrian marathon runner and a bank robber.
Director: Benjamin Heisenberg | Stars: Andreas Lust, Markus Schleinzer, Roman Kettner, Hannelore Klauber-Laursen
Votes: 4,630 | Gross: $0.08M
28. Sources of Life (2013)
174 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
This is a family story that covers 30 years in the life of the Freytag family, narrated by grandson Robert. When his grandfather returns from Russia in 1949, he becomes part of the German "... See full summary »
Director: Oskar Roehler | Stars: Jürgen Vogel, Meret Becker, Moritz Bleibtreu, Lavinia Wilson
Votes: 522
29. Homevideo (2011 TV Movie)
89 min | Drama
Shy, sensitive gymnasium (high school)-outsider Jakob Moormann is miserably lacking immaterial support at home, where his strict father, uniformed cop Claas, and selfish mother are too busy... See full summary »
Director: Kilian Riedhof | Stars: Jonas Nay, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Nicole Marischka, Sophia Boehme
Votes: 1,278
30. The Bridge (1959)
Not Rated | 103 min | Drama, History, War
In 1945, Germany is being overrun, and nobody is left to fight but teenagers.
Director: Bernhard Wicki | Stars: Volker Bohnet, Fritz Wepper, Michael Hinz, Frank Glaubrecht
Votes: 8,651
31. Men... (1985)
99 min | Comedy, Romance
A man's wife leaves him to take up with an artist, so the man responds by becoming the artist's roommate.
Director: Doris Dörrie | Stars: Heiner Lauterbach, Uwe Ochsenknecht, Ulrike Kriener, Janna Marangosoff
Votes: 1,348
32. The White Ribbon (2009)
R | 144 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Strange events happen in a small village in the north of Germany during the years before World War I, which seem to be ritual punishment. Who is responsible?
Director: Michael Haneke | Stars: Christian Friedel, Ernst Jacobi, Leonie Benesch, Ulrich Tukur
Votes: 77,646 | Gross: $2.22M
33. Metropolis (1927)
Not Rated | 153 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
In a futuristic city sharply divided between the working class and the city planners, the son of the city's mastermind falls in love with a working-class prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.
Director: Fritz Lang | Stars: Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel, Gustav Fröhlich, Rudolf Klein-Rogge
Votes: 185,510 | Gross: $1.24M
34. Der freie Wille (2006)
Unrated | 163 min | Crime, Drama
A man is released from a mental institution after serving 9 years for multiple rape.
Director: Matthias Glasner | Stars: Jürgen Vogel, Sabine Timoteo, André Hennicke, Manfred Zapatka
Votes: 3,303
35. Nosferatu (1922)
Not Rated | 94 min | Fantasy, Horror
Vampire Count Orlok expresses interest in a new residence and real estate agent Hutter's wife.
Director: F.W. Murnau | Stars: Max Schreck, Alexander Granach, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schröder
Votes: 105,424
36. Manitou's Shoe (2001)
87 min | Comedy, Western
The hilarious adventures of two best friends, Apache chief Abahachi and cowboy Ranger, in the Wild West.
Director: Michael Herbig | Stars: Michael Herbig, Christian Tramitz, Marie Bäumer, Sky du Mont
Votes: 20,275
37. Momo (1986)
101 min | Comedy, Family, Fantasy
In the village of Momo the pace of time goes very slowly. Nobody is bothering about stress but everyone has time to chat and rest - until the day the grey men arrive. With a great selling ... See full summary »
Director: Johannes Schaaf | Stars: Radost Bokel, Mario Adorf, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Sylvester Groth
Votes: 2,085
38. Piratensender Powerplay (1982)
90 min | Comedy
Tommy and Mike operate a famous pirate radio station, the most listened to radio station in Germany. The police as well as the operators of the "Bayerischer Rundfunk" (Bavarian Broadcast Company) try to stop their illegal broadcast.
Director: Sigi Rothemund | Stars: Thomas Gottschalk, Mike Krüger, Evelyn Hamann, Ralf Wolter
Votes: 1,272
39. Transfer (I) (2010)
93 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
In a futuristic society where the wealthy get to live forever by swapping bodies with refugees, an elderly couple explores this opportunity with harsh consequences.
Director: Damir Lukacevic | Stars: B.J. Britt, Regine Nehy, Hans-Michael Rehberg, Ingrid Andree
Votes: 863
40. The Lives of Others (2006)
R | 137 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
In 1984 East Berlin, an agent of the secret police conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives.
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck | Stars: Ulrich Mühe, Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch, Ulrich Tukur
Votes: 410,450 | Gross: $11.29M
41. Ödipussi (1988)
88 min | Comedy, Romance
Gray-haired furniture retailer Paul Winkelmann still has his dinner cooked and his laundry done by his mother. He spends his evenings playing Scrabble with Mama's friends and discussing the... See full summary »
Director: Vicco von Bülow | Stars: Vicco von Bülow, Katharina Brauren, Evelyn Hamann, Edda Seippel
Votes: 4,348
42. The Captain (2017)
118 min | Drama, History, Thriller
In the last moments of World War II, a young German soldier fighting for survival finds a Nazi captain's uniform. Impersonating an officer, the man quickly takes on the monstrous identity of the perpetrators he's escaping from.
Director: Robert Schwentke | Stars: Max Hubacher, Alexander Fehling, Sebastian Rudolph, Max Thommes
Votes: 21,576 | Gross: $0.11M
43. Attention, Papa Arrives! (1991)
89 min | Comedy, Family
After ordering enough typewriting paper for 40 years, just to get discount, Heinrich Lohse is forced to retire. The former manager has plenty of time now to spend with his wife and their 16... See full summary »
Directors: Vicco von Bülow, Renate Westphal-Lorenz | Stars: Evelyn Hamann, Vicco von Bülow, Irm Hermann, Hans-Peter Korff
Votes: 5,942
44. Soul Kitchen (2009)
99 min | Comedy, Drama
In Hamburg, German-Greek chef Zinos unknowingly disturbs the peace in his locals-only restaurant by hiring a more talented chef.
Director: Fatih Akin | Stars: Adam Bousdoukos, Moritz Bleibtreu, Pheline Roggan, Anna Bederke
Votes: 40,431 | Gross: $0.27M
45. Never Look Away (2018)
R | 189 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
German artist Kurt Barnert has escaped East Germany and now lives in West Germany, but is tormented by his childhood under the Nazis and the GDR-regime.
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck | Stars: Tom Schilling, Sebastian Koch, Paula Beer, Saskia Rosendahl
Votes: 25,344 | Gross: $1.30M
46. Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
Not Rated | 95 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
In the 16th century, the ruthless and insane Don Lope de Aguirre leads a Spanish expedition in search of El Dorado.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Klaus Kinski, Ruy Guerra, Helena Rojo, Del Negro
Votes: 62,280
47. Stromberg - The Movie (2014)
123 min | Comedy
The movie spin-off of the TV series centered around the incompetent boss of a German insurance office.
Director: Arne Feldhusen | Stars: Christoph Maria Herbst, Milena Dreißig, Bjarne Mädel, Diana Staehly
Votes: 8,326
48. Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997)
Not Rated | 87 min | Action, Crime, Comedy
Two terminally ill patients escape from a hospital, steal a car and rush towards the sea.
Director: Thomas Jahn | Stars: Til Schweiger, Jan Josef Liefers, Thierry van Werveke, Moritz Bleibtreu
Votes: 33,682 | Gross: $0.00M
49. Suck Me Shakespeer (2013)
119 min | Comedy
A comedy that follows an ex-convict who lands a position at a school that sits over the spot where money from one of his earlier robberies was stashed.
Director: Bora Dagtekin | Stars: Elyas M'Barek, Karoline Herfurth, Katja Riemann, Jana Pallaske
Votes: 31,681
50. Der Eisbär (1998)
90 min | Action, Thriller
Four characters become involved in one dramatic story: Nico has a mission to drive a car containing a live bomb to a specified destination, park the car and escape as quickly as she can. ... See full summary »
Directors: Til Schweiger, Granz Henman | Stars: Til Schweiger, Karina Krawczyk, Benno Fürmann, Florian Lukas
Votes: 3,000
51. M (1931)
Passed | 99 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
When the police in a German city are unable to catch a child-murderer, other criminals join in the manhunt.
Director: Fritz Lang | Stars: Peter Lorre, Ellen Widmann, Inge Landgut, Otto Wernicke
Votes: 168,449 | Gross: $0.03M
52. Nach Fünf im Urwald (1995)
99 min | Comedy, Romance
Anna, 17 years old, is happy to throw her first big birthday party without her parents, but some of her guests are so stoned that they leave a big chaos and, even worse, destroy the ... See full summary »
Director: Hans-Christian Schmid | Stars: Franka Potente, Axel Milberg, Dagmar Manzel, Farina Brock
Votes: 1,567
53. Das Millionenspiel (1970 TV Movie)
96 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
A candidate in a game show is hunted by three men. He will get a Million DMark, if he survives for a week; the hunters will get the money, if they can kill the candidate. The audience of ... See full summary »
Director: Tom Toelle | Stars: Jörg Pleva, Suzanne Roquette, Dieter Thomas Heck, Theo Fink
Votes: 1,293
54. World on a Wire (1973)
Not Rated | 212 min | Crime, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Somewhere in the future there is a computer project called Simulacron one of which is able to simulate a full featured reality, when suddenly project leader Henry Vollmer dies. His ... See full summary »
Stars: Klaus Löwitsch, Barbara Valentin, Mascha Rabben, Karl Heinz Vosgerau
Votes: 6,778
55. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
Not Rated | 92 min | Drama, Romance
A lonely widow meets a much younger Moroccan worker in a bar during a rainstorm. They fall in love, to their own surprise and to the outright shock of their families, colleagues, and drinking buddies.
Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder | Stars: Brigitte Mira, El Hedi ben Salem, Barbara Valentin, Irm Hermann
Votes: 23,848
56. Nothing Bad Can Happen (2013)
Not Rated | 110 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
Inspired by horrifying true events, Nothing Bad Can Happen follows Tore, a young lost soul involved with an underground Christian punk movement who falls in with a dysfunctional family who test his seemingly unwavering faith.
Director: Katrin Gebbe | Stars: Julius Feldmeier, Sascha Alexander Gersak, Annika Kuhl, Gro Swantje Kohlhof
Votes: 2,122 | Gross: $0.00M
57. Holly - The Movie (1984)
85 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Otto, a young man from East-Frisia, comes to the big city of Hamburg to make his fortune. Most of all he is engaged with two problems: How can he impress Silvia, a wealthy young girl; and ... See full summary »
Directors: Xaver Schwarzenberger, Otto Waalkes | Stars: Otto Waalkes, Elisabeth Wiedemann, Sky du Mont, Jessika Cardinahl
Votes: 4,621
58. Gegenüber (2007)
100 min | Drama
Teacher Anne and policeman Georg are thought of as the perfect couple. However, appearances are deceptive: one of them is covered with scars and bruises. But which one is the abuser?
Director: Jan Bonny | Stars: Matthias Brandt, Victoria Trauttmansdorff, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Susanne Bormann
Votes: 454
59. How About Adolf? (2018)
91 min | Comedy
Stephan (Christoph Maria Herbst) and his wife Elisabeth (Caroline Peters) organize a dinner in their house in Bonn. Invited are family friend René (Justus von Dohnányi), Thomas (Florian ... See full summary »
Director: Sönke Wortmann | Stars: Christoph Maria Herbst, Florian David Fitz, Caroline Peters, Justus von Dohnányi
Votes: 7,639
60. Herrliche Zeiten (2018)
110 min | Comedy, Drama
A successful couple is looking for a help. A mysterious man offers to be their butler, he is soon accompanied by his young wife.
Director: Oskar Roehler | Stars: Oliver Masucci, Katja Riemann, Samuel Finzi, Lize Feryn
Votes: 633
61. Verschwende deine Jugend (2003)
97 min | Music, Comedy, Drama
The year is 1981, the German New Wave is at the peak. Harry, otherwise Sparkasse trainee, wants to make it big as a manager of the band of his friends, Apollo Schwabing. He has booked the ... See full summary »
Director: Benjamin Quabeck | Stars: Tom Schilling, Robert Stadlober, Jessica Schwarz, Marlon Kittel
Votes: 1,138
62. A Regular Woman (2019)
Not Rated | 90 min | Crime, Drama
Aynur, a German woman of Kurdish-Turkish descent, struggles for a free, self-determined life in the face of her family's opposition. Her brothers insult and threaten her until she finally reports her oldest brother to the police.
Director: Sherry Hormann | Stars: Almila Bagriacik, Rauand Taleb, Merve Aksoy, Aram Arami
Votes: 2,442
63. Afire (2023)
102 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A group of friends are in a holiday home by the Baltic Sea where emotions run high as the parched forest around them catches fire.
Director: Christian Petzold | Stars: Thomas Schubert, Paula Beer, Langston Uibel, Enno Trebs
Votes: 7,220
64. Sun and Concrete (2023)
119 min | Adventure, Crime, Drama
The four Friends Lukas, Julius, Gino and Sanchez are trying to survive the everyday life in Neukölln, Berlin between Drugs, Gangs, Rap, Violence and Boredom. Until they are one day making a... See full summary »
Director: David Wnendt | Stars: Levy Rico Arcos, Riad Chemali, Rafael Luis Klein-Heßling, Vincent Wiemer
Votes: 4,494
65. The Teachers' Lounge (2023)
PG-13 | 98 min | Drama
When one of her students is suspected of theft, teacher Carla Nowak decides to get to the bottom of the matter. Caught between her ideals and the school system, the consequences of her actions threaten to break her.
Director: Ilker Çatak | Stars: Leonie Benesch, Anne-Kathrin Gummich, Rafael Stachowiak, Michael Klammer
Votes: 15,717
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