In a tightly controlled village in Protestant northern Germany, just before the outbreak of the First World War, a series of unsettling and violent events begins to disrupt the community’s rigid social order. As tensions rise, a schoolteacher quietly investigates the incidents and gradually uncovers a disturbing truth at the heart of the village. Shot with stark, almost clinical precision, Michael Haneke’s Palme d’Or-winning historical drama is a chilling exploration of suspicion, corruption, and the roots of collective guilt.

Reviews

‘It’s [Haneke’s] least aggressive and most mature film – a masterpiece from a director who is increasingly making a habit of them.’
★★★★★
Dave Calhoun, Time Out

‘A profoundly disquieting movie, superbly acted and directed. Its sinister riddle glitters more fiercely each time I watch it.’
★★★★★
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian