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The Disappearance of Josef Mengele

Play trailer Poster for The Disappearance of Josef Mengele 2025 2h 15m History Drama Biography Play Trailer Watchlist
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In his latest film, The Disappearance of Josef Mengele, acclaimed filmmaker Kirill Serebrennikov delves into the harrowing journey of Josef Mengele, the notorious "Angel of Death" of Auschwitz. Adapted from Olivier Guez's best-selling novel "The Disappearance of Josef Mengele," the narrative begins with Mengele, under the pseudonym Helmut Gregor, seeking sanctuary in 1949 Argentina, clutching tightly to his gruesome Auschwitz experiments. With the capture and execution of Adolf Eichmann, Mengele becomes the prey of relentless Nazi hunters, forcing him to flee from the shadows.

Critics Reviews

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Siddhant Adlakha Variety Jul 8
Seldom retro-fitted with enough dramatic power to earn its preemptive closure. Go to Full Review
Ben Kenigsberg RogerEbert.com May 22
Typically for this filmmaker, the movie has a sprawling—detractors might say structureless—narrative that juggles timelines and locations. Go to Full Review
Mark Asch Little White Lies May 21
Of course, the first thing Kirill Serebrennikov would do upon arrival in Germany is to make a movie about a Nazi... he handles a characteristically inflammatory subject with uncharacteristic inoffensiveness, yielding limited insight. Go to Full Review
Àngel Quintana Caimán Cuadernos de Cine Jun 3
Serebrennikov maintains his dignity. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Matthew Turner Next Best Picture May 29
7/10
This is an engaging historical drama with a compellingly dark central performance. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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MB C @MB.Cinema Mar 3 The film follows Mengele’s life in hiding across Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil as he evades justice under false identities.....Structured in fragmented chapters named after his aliases, the non-linear script explores memory, guilt, and moral absence rather than suspense....Its stark visual style — shifting between black-and-white exile and rare color in Auschwitz — underscores the fracture between past and present.....While the restrained direction avoids melodrama, the slow pacing and lack of a dramatic climax may feel emotionally distant....A cold, thought-provoking meditation on justice denied and evil unpunished.... See more acsdoug D @acsdoug Feb 25 The story would have been better served if told in chronological order. That doesn't change the fact that Director Serebrennikov has made a superb film. August Diehl is terrific and chilling at the same time, and filming in black and white was an inspired choice. I have no idea how historically accurate the movie is, I can only hope that Mengele's postwar life was as miserable as it's depicted here. See more Read all reviews
The Disappearance of Josef Mengele

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Movie Info

Synopsis In his latest film, The Disappearance of Josef Mengele, acclaimed filmmaker Kirill Serebrennikov delves into the harrowing journey of Josef Mengele, the notorious "Angel of Death" of Auschwitz. Adapted from Olivier Guez's best-selling novel "The Disappearance of Josef Mengele," the narrative begins with Mengele, under the pseudonym Helmut Gregor, seeking sanctuary in 1949 Argentina, clutching tightly to his gruesome Auschwitz experiments. With the capture and execution of Adolf Eichmann, Mengele becomes the prey of relentless Nazi hunters, forcing him to flee from the shadows.
Director
Kirill Serebrennikov
Producer
Charles Gillibert, Ilya Stewart, Felix von Boehm
Screenwriter
Kirill Serebrennikov
Production Co
CG Cinema, Hype Studios, Lupa Films, Piano, Lorem Ipsum Entertainment
Genre
History, Drama, Biography
Original Language
German
Runtime
2h 15m