The Captain

Released Jul 27, 2018

1h 58m

History

Drama

War

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List

83%

Tomatometer

53 Reviews

84%

Audience Score

500+ Ratings

A German army deserter finds a Nazi captain's abandoned uniform during the final weeks of World War II. Emboldened by the authority it suddenly grants him, he amasses a band of stragglers that cedes to his every command -- despite the suspicions of some. Citing direct orders from Hitler himself, he soon takes command of a camp that holds German soldiers accused of desertion -- and begins to dispense harsh justice.

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Critics Consensus

The Captain makes chillingly persuasive points about the dark side of human nature -- and underscores how little certain tendencies ever really change.

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J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

Director Robert Schwentke shoots in black and white, yet the story is strictly black, giving little insight into the cruel, impressively coolheaded Herold (Max Hubacher) except that he's incensed at the German retreat.

Mar 11, 2020

Full Review

April Wolfe

Village Voice

Hubacher's performance is a masterful physical feat.

Oct 22, 2018

Full Review

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

Captures the moment when fear and chaos bite and the ordered military existence crumbles into savagery and base urges.

Rated: 5/5

Sep 22, 2018

Full Review

Dominic Griffin

Spectrum Culture

Schwentke's made one of the best films of his career here, but it still winds up a superficial exercise.

Rated: 2.75/5

Jul 17, 2019

Full Review

Peter Sobczynski

eFilmCritic.com

When it is all said and done, it is the kind of film that one can easily shrug off when it is over, something that one might think would be impossible given the source material.

Feb 21, 2019

Full Review

Nick Johnston

Vanyaland

[It's] an engrossing horror-drama about the mask - or, well, the uniform - of sanity and what happens when it's given the legal authority to slip.

Dec 10, 2018

Full Review

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Ty N

This movie is absolutely dark.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/17/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Brutal, realistic movie. Seemed like a good portrayal of end of the war from the German side.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/19/23

Full Review

Joe M

I'm not sure if it's for everyone because some scenes are disturbing but I enjoy it. It's also in German but I dont mind english subtitles. It's based on a real life story and kept me interested the entire movie. One of the most interesting stories I've heard in a while.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/18/23

Full Review

Jason B

A gloriously dark and harrowing piece of cinema. Beautifully directed, incredible cast, with just a hint of black comedy to ease some of the stories heavy themes. This film should have won many awards but I don't think many people in the US heard of it, let alone saw it. I was shocked who directed it because it is levels above anything he's done. Incredible!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/04/23

Full Review

lee w

Good insight into that period with with an eye toward military accuracy and some interesting twists.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/22/23

Full Review

James E

While a very good film, it completely ignores the main character's back story. This leaves the viewer wondering why Willi has such a bloodlust for German deserters. It only makes sense if you know that he was a trained paratrooper, a veteran of 2 years of hard combat. At the same time, he was a pathological liar and probably quite mad. There was a lot of really interesting stuff in his life that was skipped over. It's a good movie, but it doesn't really tell the story. It just gives you a blurry snapshot of a short period of time in what was actually a much more interesting life.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/20/22

Full Review

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Robert Schwentke

Director

Max Hubacher

Willi Herold

Milan Peschel

Freytag

Frederick Lau

Kipinski

Waldemar Kobus

Lagerleiter Hansen

Alexander Fehling

Hauptmann Junker

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The Captain: Trailer 1

1:59

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Synopsis

A German army deserter finds a Nazi captain's abandoned uniform during the final weeks of World War II. Emboldened by the authority it suddenly grants him, he amasses a band of stragglers that cedes to his every command -- despite the suspicions of some. Citing direct orders from Hitler himself, he soon takes command of a camp that holds German soldiers accused of desertion -- and begins to dispense harsh justice.

Director: Robert Schwentke
Producer: Frieder Schlaich, Irene von Alberti
Screenwriter: Robert Schwentke
Distributor: Music Box Films
Production Co: Filmgalerie 451, Opus Film, Alfama Films
Genre: History, Drama, War
Original Language: German
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 27, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 27, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $108.6K
Runtime: 1h 58m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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