Afire

Name: Afire
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Released: July 14, 2023
Duration: 102 min
Rating: 82
Cast: Enno Trebs, Langston Uibel, Matthias Brandt, Paula Beer, Thomas Schubert

2023

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Universal acclaim based on 28 Critic Reviews

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Movie Details & Credits

Janus Film | Release Date: July 14, 2023 | Not Rated

Starring: Enno Trebs, Langston Uibel, Matthias Brandt, Paula Beer, Thomas Schubert

Movie Facts:

Winner of the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival.

Summary: 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 hisWhile 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. … Expand

Director: Christian Petzold

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy, Romance

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 102 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Justin Chang

Jul 13, 2023

Throughout this movie, an absorbing, barbed and frequently funny evisceration of artistic ego, Petzold practices a deft and disarming sleight of hand, using key details to keep the viewer off balance and deliver a stinging rebuke to Leon’s myopia. Read full review

100

The Playlist Savina Petkova

Feb 24, 2023

Afire is the uncompromising work of a master not only on conceptual and stylistic levels but also in terms of his emotional politics. Read full review

Barry Hertz

Jul 13, 2023

The dramedy of manners is as rich and rewarding an experience as any of Petzold’s more ambitious films. Afire arrives like a calm wind, and leaves with everything and everyone perfectly scorched. Read full review

Slashfilm Ryan Coleman

Jul 14, 2023

It's a classical fable or a postmodern story within a story. Triumphant or deeply nihilistic — or both. The second in his planned "elements" trilogy, "Afire" will be difficult to top. Read full review

Tara Brady

Aug 25, 2023

Christian Petzold, the film’s writer as well as director, rightly took home Berlin’s Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize for this genre-defying comedy of manners. The German master deftly weaves ecological catastrophe, sexual capering and a portrait of beta masculinity into a plot that, at first glance, could be a holiday-from-hell sitcom episode. Read full review

Ann Hornaday

Jul 25, 2023

Richly observed and paced with relaxed, unforced ease, Afire doesn’t ignite as much as smolder. It’s a slow, steady burn. Read full review

G. Allen Johnson

Aug 3, 2023

Petzold said he conceived of the film during the pandemic lockdown — that makes sense, considering the sparseness of the setting and small cast — and was inspired by the character studies of French filmmaker Éric Rohmer and Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Unfortunately, he needed inspiration from another great artist: Christian Petzold. Read full review

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User Reviews

DmitryPortnoy

Jul 21, 2023

Afire is the most suspenseful romantic comedy I've seen in a long time: you think you know how it's all supposed to turn out, but the more the story develops, the more impossible a happy ending seems. Sexy, funny, and idyllic like an undiscovered Shakespeare play or Mozart opera; like those,Afire is the most suspenseful romantic comedy I've seen in a long time: you think you know how it's all supposed to turn out, but the more the story develops, the more impossible a happy ending seems. Sexy, funny, and idyllic like an undiscovered Shakespeare play or Mozart opera; like those, it's also deadly serious. The performances are pure magic and completely real.… Expand

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Brent_Marchant

Jul 30, 2023

Fire is a force that can destroy and devastate, but it’s also one thar can cleanse, sweeping away what’s of questionable value in order to clear space for robust, vigorous, valued new growth. And, sometimes, it can do both simultaneously, as demonstrated in writer-director ChristianFire is a force that can destroy and devastate, but it’s also one thar can cleanse, sweeping away what’s of questionable value in order to clear space for robust, vigorous, valued new growth. And, sometimes, it can do both simultaneously, as demonstrated in writer-director Christian Petzold’s latest, a searing drama/wry comedy about four old/newfound friends who are unwittingly drawn together at a summer house near the Baltic seacoast. Their time together proves revelatory, stressful and enlightening, in part because of their interactions, the disclosures that come out of those relationships, and the looming threat of ravaging forest fires that threaten them and their existence, both literally and metaphorically. The film is a slowburn in every sense of the word, especially at the outset, with a somewhat cryptic narrative that seems rather meandering at times, but that sets the stage for what’s to follow in the back half. The picture subsequently presents a witty but profoundly insightful examination of what makes us who we are, how much we enjoy or endure our lives, and what we can do to make it better for ourselves when we eliminate what no longer serves us. In many respects, “Afire” is probably not what most viewers will expect, but, then, that’s a huge part of its appeal, a refreshing, engaging look at life and what we make of it, a valuable exercise given how abruptly it can all be taken away, leaving us to ask ourselves, what did we do with the time we had and was it indeed worth it in the end? Give this one time to unfold, and let it sink in. It may help you realize and understand more about yourself than you can possibly imagine.… Expand

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