Berlin Syndrome

Australia 2017

Australian actress Teresa Palmer plays introverted Clare, a tourist seeking the experience of a lifetime having arrived in Berlin with just her backpack and camera. When she meets Andi (Max Riemelt), she’s prepared to shake off her loneliness and talk to a friendly stranger.

He guides her around the city, indulging her fascination for photographing GDR architecture, before dropping her back to her accommodation for the night. The mutual attraction is palpable and she seeks him out the next day at the local bookstore. The sexual tension culminates back at Andi’s apartment, hidden within an abandoned residential complex. In the harsh light of the morning, it appears that he’s mistakenly locked her in while he heads out to teach.

What follows is a taut thriller traversing themes of confinement, control and submission. Director Cate Shortland (Lore) places the story within Berlin although the city itself concedes to the ever-increasingly claustrophobic interiors. Clare quickly discovers the smallest of clues that magnify the seriousness of her situation. With the doors bolted and windows sealed, how will she escape the binds of her captivity? — RM