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Afire

Play trailer 2:08 Poster for Afire Released Jul 14, 2023 1h 43m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 125 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
While vacationing by the Baltic Sea, writer Leon (Thomas Schubert) and photographer Felix (Langston Uibel) are surprised by the presence of Nadja (Paula Beer), a mysterious young woman staying as a guest at Felix's family's holiday home. Nadja distracts Leon from finishing his latest novel and with brutal honesty, forces him to confront his caustic temperament and self-absorption. As Nadja and Leon grow closer, an encroaching forest fire threatens the group and tensions escalate when a handsome lifeguard and Leon's tight-lipped book editor also arrive. Christian Petzold's acclaimed latest was the winner of the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at this year's Berlin International Film Festival.
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Afire

Afire

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Critics Consensus

A riveting look at complicated relationships, the well-acted Afire finds Christian Petzold working in an arguably lighter but still notably ambitious vein.

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Critics Reviews

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Namrata Joshi The New Indian Express A good film to end or begin a year with, one that reminds us to hit the pause button every now and then between the play modes and never say no to anything because “work won’t allow it”. Jan 23, 2024 Full Review Ty Burr Ty Burr's Watch List (Substack) It could be an Eric Rohmer movie that escaped from the 1970s. Rated: 3/4 Dec 1, 2023 Full Review Sergio Burstein Los Angeles Times The script, also by director Christian Petzold finds itself full of moments marked by subtle comedy and interpreted by a group of impeccable actors. [Full review in Spanish] Oct 4, 2023 Full Review Joshua Polanski Boston Hassle The German summer romance is bound to be one of the year’s most literary films, a claim that shouldn’t come as a surprise considering the director’s education, but it’s also one of the year’s most romantic films. Jul 5, 2024 Full Review Connor Lightbody Loud and Clear Reviews While its comedic amusement lands with a bemused incredulity, Afire’s discussion around the fragility of male writers is rich with layers, none that feel compelled to untangle themselves from a film that on the surface seems suffocatingly simple. Rated: 4/5 Jul 4, 2024 Full Review Sergi Sánchez Fotogramas The best: its incisive look at the human condition and its unpredictable twist. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 5/5 Jun 17, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Roy J The acting and direction kept my attention even though there isn't much going on. I really liked it until the ending...the jerk protagonist doesn't deserve that ending. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/09/23 Full Review Alec B Writers that hate themselves are almost as insufferable as those who think they are God's gift to humanity. There's a sadness to the movie that does make the main character slightly more tolerable. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/04/24 Full Review Wolfgang G Roter Himmel ist ein Beziehungsdrama von Christian Petzold… Eine Gruppe von Freunden in einem Ferienhaus an der Ostsee, wo die Emotionen hochkochen, als der ausgetrocknete Wald um sie herum Feuer fängt… Eine künstlerische Krise und eine Schreibblockade lösen zwischenmenschliche Komplikationen aus… die eine Freundschaft auf die Probe stellt… eher eine stille melancholische Inszenierung mit einer brillanten schauspielerischen Leistung… Kurz gesagt, ein klasse Schauspiel mit sehr guten Darstellern… Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/30/23 Full Review helder f A story of two friends, Leon and Felix, who are spending their summer in a beach house. The goal is for Leon to finish his book and Felix to complete his portfolio for art school. The beach house belongs to Felix's family. Upon arriving, they realize that a friend of Felix's mother is staying there too, where she hosts Devid, a lifeguard. sometimes. The story has a nostalgic tone, carrying a child-like and idyllic atmosphere, while simultaneously being tense due to the relationships among the four, as well as the menace of the nearby wildfires. These two components are barely rewarding enough to sit through for almost 90 minutes in the movie, where most scenes feel more like still pictures than part of a narrative. The last segment of the movie is enervating due to its unnecessary melodramatic end. The movie's conclusion feels like an abrupt waking up from a sort of languid dream, betraying viewers who sat through the movie hoping for some kind of climax, some sort of apex. It feels juvenile and tasteless. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 11/27/23 Full Review X O Wow. Extremely well acted. I don't know how I got pulled on. It must have been how they spoke. The acting. So impressive. It's so interesting how giving Nadja is, not from love, just from her nature, with feeling, not just because of some new age trip. Leon is also really fucked up and needs to stop beating himself up, amd stop beating others up because of that. Nadja is very forgiving. To her strength. The editor is a bastard. He should have prioritised Leon and not leave him hanging. That isn't professional, at best. Worth a watch, as much as how the story unfolds as much as the conclusions. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/16/23 Full Review Greg R This is lousy. And it's made worse by reading these reviews telling you to stick with it. The something that was to come just never arrives. It's just one long, drawn out, bore. About nothing. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 09/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis While vacationing by the Baltic Sea, writer Leon (Thomas Schubert) and photographer Felix (Langston Uibel) are surprised by the presence of Nadja (Paula Beer), a mysterious young woman staying as a guest at Felix's family's holiday home. Nadja distracts Leon from finishing his latest novel and with brutal honesty, forces him to confront his caustic temperament and self-absorption. As Nadja and Leon grow closer, an encroaching forest fire threatens the group and tensions escalate when a handsome lifeguard and Leon's tight-lipped book editor also arrive. Christian Petzold's acclaimed latest was the winner of the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at this year's Berlin International Film Festival.
Director
Christian Petzold
Producer
Anton Kaiser, Florian Koerner von Gustorf, Michael Weber
Screenwriter
Christian Petzold, Christian Petzold
Distributor
Sideshow / Janus Films
Production Co
September Films, Schramm Film Koerner & Weber, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF), ZDF/Arte
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
German
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 14, 2023, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA)
$244.8K
Runtime
1h 43m
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