Berlin Syndrome (2017)

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  TheMovieDiorama

  7 / 10

  Berlin Syndrome is yet another reason why you should not go travelling around Europe. Let's put this into perspective, it's not nearly as horrific as 'Taken' but still this presents a perfectly plausible scenario. A young Australian woman travels to Berlin where she encounters a German school teacher. The two have a night of passion which consequently leads her to become trapped in his apartment. I have to get this off my chest immediately, this guy is absolutely insane. Not the psychopathic type (although we see glimpses of psychotic behaviour), but a very creepy controlled man who's natural personality blends in with the general public. It's not a case of "oh, I can tell he looks like woman kidnapper who likes to take pictures of them naked and then store them in a secret photo album", it's his ability to camouflage that truly frightens. I mean the setup in his apartment that seemingly replicates a lavish prison cell is somewhat unnerving. Teresa Palmer gave an extremely delicate performance. Being locked inside an apartment for eternity will slowly have detrimental effects to the mind, and she conveys that wonderfully. Small little traits like randomly spinning around on a chair shows how her sanity is deteriorating. There is plenty of psychological analysis in this thriller, a splash of Stockholm Syndrome and paranoia keeps the viewers enthralled in a suspense driven narrative. Shortland's direction and the cinematography enhanced the artistic style, where snow falls in slow motion to represent her yearn for freedom. The backstories of the two characters are casually explored, tiny glimpses into their lives. I appreciate that the story consists of just this scenario, but a deeper look into these characters would've created a richer emotional connection. The conclusion (if you could call it that) was slightly underwhelming with a few too many plot conveniences. Considering I went into this knowing nothing about the story, I was captivated throughout its entire runtime. A small suspenseful psychological thriller that is definitely worth checking out.

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