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The Light

Play trailer The Light 2025 2h 42m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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14% Tomatometer 14 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Ratings
The Engels family, based in the bustling heart of Berlin, is a tumultuous and fractured unit consisting of parents Milena and Tim, both in their late forties, 17-year-old twins Frieda and Jon, and 8-year-old Dio. Each of them is struggling with their own personal chaos after losing the common bond that once held them together as a family. When Syrian immigrant Farrah enters their lives as a housekeeper, she unexpectedly sets the disparate family on a new track. Quickly, each family member forms a profound and enigmatic connection with Farrah, falling individually for her focused yet mysterious persona. The Engels gradually unveil their past wounds and fractures to Farrah and they start to reconnect with each other after years of estrangement. But ultimately, they understand that Farrah has been seeking their family for a long time and is now leading them on a journey into the unknown....

Critics Reviews

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Peter Debruge Variety Feb 15
Not since “Wayne’s World” has a movie leaned so heavily on Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”. But to what end?... Instead of being made to care, we can’t help but concur with Queen: “Nothing really matters to me.” Go to Full Review Ryan Lattanzio IndieWire Feb 15
C-
The Light is reaching to say something profound about the effects of globalization on the individual... but it’s sanctimoniously told with the subtlety of a power drill, the ideas never cohering into something meaningful. Go to Full Review Jonathan Romney Screen International Feb 15
It hardly lacks ambition or technical dazzle, and the cast tackles this politically-themed braided-destinies drama with gusto. The film’s problem, however, is a confused mix of earnestness and self-importance. Go to Full Review Rita Di Santo Morning Star (UK) Jun 5
4
dynamic, colourful rhythm with quirky sequences that mix animation and musical moments, creating a kaleidoscopic effect.. a touching and witty film that sets a new standard for contemporary family comedies Go to Full Review Stephen Dalton The Film Verdict Feb 25
1/4
German writer-director Tom Tykwer returns to the big screen with a stylish but shallow family psychodrama set in contemporary Berlin. Go to Full Review James Mottram The National (UAE) Feb 18
3/5
A film about dysfunction -- whether it’s in the home or a group like the United Nations, it’s a work that stumbles as much as it strides. But it’s a provocative and political piece, designed to make you look at the world in a way you haven’t before. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Tom Tykwer

Director

Nicolette Krebitz

Milena Engels

Lars Eidinger

Tim Engels

Julius Gause

Jon Engels

Toby Onwumere

Godfrey

Tala Al Deen

Farrah
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The Light

The Light (2024) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis The Engels family, based in the bustling heart of Berlin, is a tumultuous and fractured unit consisting of parents Milena and Tim, both in their late forties, 17-year-old twins Frieda and Jon, and 8-year-old Dio. Each of them is struggling with their own personal chaos after losing the common bond that once held them together as a family. When Syrian immigrant Farrah enters their lives as a housekeeper, she unexpectedly sets the disparate family on a new track. Quickly, each family member forms a profound and enigmatic connection with Farrah, falling individually for her focused yet mysterious persona. The Engels gradually unveil their past wounds and fractures to Farrah and they start to reconnect with each other after years of estrangement. But ultimately, they understand that Farrah has been seeking their family for a long time and is now leading them on a journey into the unknown....
Director
Tom Tykwer
Producer
Uwe Schott, Tom Tykwer
Screenwriter
Tom Tykwer, Tom Tykwer
Production Co
X-Filme Creative Pool
Genre
Drama
Original Language
German
Runtime
2h 42m