Balloon

Name: Balloon
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller
Released: February 21, 2020
Duration: 125 min
Rating: 53
Cast: Alicia von Rittberg, Ben Teichmann, Christian Näthe, David Kross, Friedrich Mücke

2020

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Ratings

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7.4

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7.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Ratings

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Ballon (International Trailer 1 Subtitled)

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Movie Details & Credits

ARP Sélection | Release Date: February 21, 2020 | Not Rated

Starring: Alicia von Rittberg, Ben Teichmann, Christian Näthe, David Kross, Friedrich Mücke, Jonas Holdenrieder, Karoline Schuch, Thomas Kretschmann, Till Patz, Tilman Döbler

Summary: In the summer of 1979, the Strelzyk and Wetzel families—who had been working on their audacious plan for more than two years—try to flee East Germany in a self-made hot-air balloon. But after the balloon crash-lands just before the West German border, the Stasi find traces of the attempted escape and immediately launch an investigation. InIn the summer of 1979, the Strelzyk and Wetzel families—who had been working on their audacious plan for more than two years—try to flee East Germany in a self-made hot-air balloon. But after the balloon crash-lands just before the West German border, the Stasi find traces of the attempted escape and immediately launch an investigation. In a nerve-wracking race against the clock, the two families attempt to build a new escape balloon as the Stasi get closer and closer each day.… Expand

Director: Michael Herbig

Genre(s): Drama, History, Thriller

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 125 min

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Critic Reviews

Kenneth Turan

Mar 12, 2020

Filmmaker Herbig and his team prove to be especially adept at contriving situations where anything anyone does causes fear, anxiety, stress and worry, leaving everyone, very much including the audience, existing on the knife’s edge of unremitting tension. Read full review

Alex Saveliev

Feb 20, 2020

The movie is a heart-on-the-sleeve, old-fashioned action-adventure thriller. This Balloon may not exactly soar, but it’ll give you a satisfyingly stirring ride. Read full review

Richard Whittaker

Mar 31, 2020

In this entertainingly tense thriller, Hebrig finds extraordinary courage and understandable fear in both the Strelzyk and Wetzels. Read full review

Jeannette Catsoulis

Feb 20, 2020

There is nothing objectionable about Michael Bully Herbig’s glossy political thriller, Balloon, but there’s nothing particularly exciting about it, either. Read full review

Mark Feeney

Apr 16, 2020

Balloon manages to combine slickness and sentimentality, predictability and implausibility. The fact that it’s based on a true story — the closing credits include photographs of the actual families — does not make up for the amassing of red herrings, close calls, and occasions for head-scratching. Read full review

Tomris Laffly

Feb 25, 2020

Balloon is decent entertainment to a degree, and that is mostly thanks to its handsome production values. Read full review

The Guardian Phil Hoad

Feb 20, 2020

How Herbig fails to capitalise on the sheer physical terror of their flight – the balloon’s basket is more a flimsily strung boxing ring – makes you wish someone like Werner Herzog had mounted this mad escapade for real. Read full review

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User Reviews

DawdlingPoet

Nov 21, 2021

This is quite a tense and gripping, as well as fairly claustrophobic, film. I felt sorry for the parents, trying to do the best for their kids and I could feel their frustrations too. Its pretty thought provoking - I can only imagine how it felt to live in what was then eastern Germany, ifThis is quite a tense and gripping, as well as fairly claustrophobic, film. I felt sorry for the parents, trying to do the best for their kids and I could feel their frustrations too. Its pretty thought provoking - I can only imagine how it felt to live in what was then eastern Germany, if you didn't share the political views of the majority etc. The cast do a good job and the background music is just about right - not too 'in your face' or overly artificial seeming. I thought the plot pace was quite good and it certainly kept me watching throughout. I would recommend this film, yes.… Expand

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Brent_Marchant

Mar 6, 2020

Not to be confused with the Chinese fable of the same name, this fact-based German political thriller presents a gripping saga of two families and their perilous scheme to escape East Germany in 1979 by floating over the border in a home-built hot air balloon. The film effectively capturesNot to be confused with the Chinese fable of the same name, this fact-based German political thriller presents a gripping saga of two families and their perilous scheme to escape East Germany in 1979 by floating over the border in a home-built hot air balloon. The film effectively captures the pervasive sense of paranoia and fright that everyday citizens felt under the scrutiny of the Stasi, the socialist nation's notorious secret police, just in going about their regular routines, let alone in attempting such a daring feat at this. While the picture occasionally overdoes it in its efforts to create dramatic tension, it nevertheless conveys an otherwise-authentic feel of what it was like to live under such stressful conditions -- and the desperation to escape it and find a life of freedom. Well worth the time.… Expand

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