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Eismayer

Play trailer Poster for Eismayer Released Oct 6, 2023 1h 27m Romance Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
90% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 83% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
Sergeant Major Eismayer is known and feared as the toughest training officer in the Austrian Armed Forces, ruthless with recruits and unwavering in his discipline, order and macho toughness. But when he starts to fall in love with Falak, a new recruit who unashamedly embraces his homosexuality, Eismayer's closeted existence is shaken to the core.
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Eismayer

Critics Reviews

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Cath Clarke Guardian This is an intelligent, understated and naturalistic film. Rated: 3/5 Nov 13, 2023 Full Review Ben Turner The Pink Lens The story might be simple but the characters are expansive, with both of its leads delivering the kind of knock-out performances that Hollywood can only wish for sometimes. Rated: 4/5 Dec 8, 2023 Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills [A] well-crafted and acted, sturdy dramatization... Oct 16, 2023 Full Review André Hereford Metro Weekly (Washington, DC) A tough Austrian military officer is utterly disarmed by a crush on one of his soldiers in the poignant drama 'Eismayer.' Rated: 3/5 Oct 9, 2023 Full Review Mark Dujsik Mark Reviews Movies [T]his movie could have explored how this character evolves with a bit more time and a lot more consideration than we get here. Rated: 2.5/4 Oct 6, 2023 Full Review John Paul King Washington Blade It’s a surprisingly entertaining and refreshingly heartfelt reminder of the transformation power of love. Oct 5, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Kalissa H A little slow at times but still good. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/01/25 Full Review Ed B The best same-sex male movie I watched till now (August, 2025). Great story, great acting, excellent script, beautiful photography and good German. My late husband was a German American, and I learned German from him, and we lived 7 months in Germany. As a writer myself, I give the script 10/10. As a man who loves another man I give 10/10 for the reality of the romance. Good to see same-males movies that a serious like this one showing the world that same-sex love is real and reality. The major actor is an excellent actor. Clear speech and excellent facial expressions. Played very well the though Sergeant that in the end was a romantic man waiting for the right time to live his romance. The story tells a lot to me as a writer and Eismayer character remind me a lot of myself. So, Eismayer had to be powerful and strong to go on, like I did myself. Great movie! I highly recommend it. I wish I could give it 6 stars. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/20/25 Full Review Peter K Especially noteworthy that this award-winning film was from Austria. The locations were spot-on. That a factual, well-acted production (done in both German and Bosnian) is a true story; makes it even more compelling. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/07/25 Full Review Paul M A well crafted and restrained depiction of a man accepting his sexuality beyond casual sex in the back of cars. It's rather thin on the internal life of his evolving relationship with Falak, but there's a real force in Eismayer's late blossoming. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/28/23 Full Review Brent M The once-controversial topic of gays in the military has settled down somewhat from its flashpoint status years ago (even if it's not yet everything that members of the LGBTQ+ community would like it to be). But, in the not-too-distant past, it was still a hot button topic, one that made life difficult for those in the military, especially for those in relationships who served together, despite guaranteed provisions against discrimination based on sexual orientation. Those are among the challenges addressed in writer-director David Wagner's third feature outing, a fact-based tale about a closeted (and married) tough-as-nails Austrian military drill sergeant (Gerhard Liebmann) who clandestinely falls for an out-and-proud recruit (Luka Dimić). While the story and sentiments are truly touching, the overall execution, unfortunately, leaves much to be desired. Perhaps the biggest problem here is the screenplay, which is loaded with developments that unfold at an unrealistically fast pace, creating awkward transitions and, consequently, diminishing the picture's credibility. The effect of that is pacing that comes across as needlessly rushed, something that could have been resolved by simply taking a little more time to allow the narrative to develop, especially given the film's comparatively short 1:27:00 runtime. The character development feels exaggerated at times, too, with the sergeant vacillating wildly between over-the-top beast and tender loving partner and with the recruit appearing as a little too defiant and flamboyant to be convincing. And then there's the cinematography, which at times is so dark that it's virtually impossible for viewers to discern what's going on, particularly in an initial intimate sequence that's about as murky as the ocean floor. It's regrettable that this offering gets so much wrong, because it's a heartfelt story that deserves a more effective telling. There's a lot to be said for sharing a touching tale such as this, but the least its creators can do is tell it with earnest believability, something that's largely absent here. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 11/07/23 Full Review Pat R A beautiful love story that was based on true life events. Cinematography was spell binding. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Eismayer

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Movie Info

Synopsis Sergeant Major Eismayer is known and feared as the toughest training officer in the Austrian Armed Forces, ruthless with recruits and unwavering in his discipline, order and macho toughness. But when he starts to fall in love with Falak, a new recruit who unashamedly embraces his homosexuality, Eismayer's closeted existence is shaken to the core.
Director
David Wagner
Producer
Sabine Gruber, Arash T. Riahi
Screenwriter
David Wagner
Distributor
Dark Star Pictures
Production Co
Golden Girls Filmproduktion, Loco Films
Genre
Romance, Drama
Original Language
German
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 6, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 10, 2023
Runtime
1h 27m
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