The movie identifies Ms. Shortland as a talent to watch. And it should constitute some kind of breakthrough for Ms. Palmer, who has not been given much of interest to do since she arrived in Hollywood a little over a decade ago.
Works against all odds, managing to preserve the sickness of the situation while remaining attentive to the needs of suspense and depths of sophisticated characterization.
Berlin Syndrome is a discomforting psychological thriller. It's discomforting in an effective way ... As for the psychology, it skimps perhaps a bit too much.
This stylish cautionary tale about foreigners in strange lands manages to generate consistent suspense within an intriguing moral framework while avoiding genre pitfalls.
Berlin Syndrome might look on the surface like a polished B-movie, a crafty and violent tale of a woman in captivity; but it's also the rare psychological thriller that feels not just taut and gripping, but genuinely exploratory.
