We Monsters (2015)

Paul and Christine know: Their teenager daughter Sarah, thrown by their separation, is capable of about anything, including killing her best friend. Wanting to protect their daughter they ... See full summary »

Director:

Sebastian Ko

Writers:

Marcus Seibert, Sebastian Ko (co-writer)

Stars:

Mehdi Nebbou, Ulrike C. Tscharre, Janina Fautz

3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Mehdi Nebbou	...	Paul
Ulrike C. Tscharre	...	Christine
Janina Fautz	...	Sarah
Ronald Kukulies	...	Kuszinsky
Britta Hammelstein	...	Jessica
Daniel Drewes	...	Michael
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marie Bendig	...	Charlie
Dominik Buch	...	Nick
Marc Fischer	...	Kommissar Osburg
Kerstin Thielemann	...	Kommissarin Benthin

Storyline

Paul and Christine know: Their teenager daughter Sarah, thrown by their separation, is capable of about anything, including killing her best friend. Wanting to protect their daughter they thus decide to hide the crime. Their joined guilt forces the family back together creating a web of lies and deadly intentions without a way out.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German

Release Date:

16 October 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kalte Tage

Company Credits

Production Co:

ARTE, Ester.Reglin.Film Produktionsgesellschaft, Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Remade as The Lie (2018)

User Reviews

Separated, but joined hands for their child.

My latest German film about a family with the dark secret. A film that's not so popular, looks like not even in the Germany. But I chose it for the title alone. Followed by reading its synopsis I couldn't just turn away. It is definitely the German version of the Japanese flick 'Suspect X'. That does not mean it is a remake, but based on the similar theme that revolves on an entirely different platform. If you like that film, you should check this out, but it is simple and very interesting tale, not as intelligent as that one and never tried to be one.

The film was about a divorced couple with one teen daughter shared custody. It might be a separation by a mutual understanding, but for their daughter, Sarah, it is a pain to watch them apart. One day during a camping she accidentally commits a crime. When her parents learn about it, they join hands and decide to hide it, thinking it might spoil her future. But Sarah uses this opportunity to bring them back together. On the other side, one lie to another and many more, how long they can carry on is revealed in the remaining film.

There's no surprise for parents trying to save their child from the legal battle. Anybody would do the same thing in most of the circumstance after examining what actually went wrong. It reminded me 'Papanasam', a similar kind of film, but this narration targets only on the one side. The pursue from the other side was less than ten per cent. So it creates a mystery atmosphere about everything you saw might have another angle to give a different opinion on the situation of the film characters. That's how the focus remained on the family with their every move making them hard to stay strong and face the future troubles.

"What if everybody knows about it? School, facebook, family, friends, everyone."

The suspense remains among the characters, but most of the viewers would know exactly what's going on. The writers did not try to hide anything to save a twist for the end part, they wanted to tell a simple crime-drama involving a family as much possible decently and they did it. People might think they are clever for figuring it out everything earlier or the writing was so weak, but that's a mere diversion for what happens in the final quarter. I think the film ended strongly than its earlier part. While watching it you might think it is an okay film, but once you watched it, it could change your overall impression.

In the old days people hiding crime to escape the punishment, and of course for what family, friends, neighbours think about them. But now the latest addition is the facebook. Going viral on the social media has much impact for ones future than the law punishing them. This where our future is heading. Tracking a criminal through the internet is easier than the outside world. Anyway, this film did not go for those materials, but used it as one of the reasons for making a crucial decision.

Overall, it is almost a good film, an above average. But in the end, what and how much we expect from it is directly involved with for the final result. So I'm saying if you go for it with an open mind, you could enjoy it better. This story is not something you see regularly, at a time not the best film of the year, yet worth a try. I would have said it should have been better in a few parts, but that changes nothing because of the theme and I totally appreciate the filmmakers for making a decent film than anything worse. So I think you understood me that I'm indirectly recommending it.

7/10