Thriller movies are one of the most exciting genres we’re able to consume, and that certainly includes German thriller movies. From jaw-dropping action to mind-boggling plots, these movies tend to have it all.
With the growing collection of streaming libraries all over the world, no movie is unattainable if you search hard enough. The goal to provide quality content to everyone watching is a boon to us all. Here are the 10 best German thriller movies you must watch.
1. Who Am I – Kein System ist sicher
Available on: Netflix
Cast: Tom Schilling, Elyas M’Barek, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Antoine Monot Jr., Hannah Herzsprung, Trine Dyrholm
Benjamin (Schilling) is a nobody in the real world but when he’s behind a computer, his true talents come out to play. When he joins a hacker group that rages against ‘the man’ they create all kinds of noise and grab the attention of the state and European cyber-crime authorities. All of a sudden they become the most wanted people in Europe and things don’t always turn out the way they hope.
This anarchist German thriller has an exciting and serious plot with a matching tone that has the audience hanging onto every moment. It is a brilliant movie that is definitely worth your time.
2. Das schaurige Haus (The Strange House)
Available on: Netflix
Cast: León Orlandianyi, Benno Rosskopf, Julia Koschitz, Marii Weichsler, Lars Bitterlich, Michael Pink
Hendrik and Eddi are moving to a rustic house in a village in the middle of nowhere because of their mother. The villagers prefer to keep their distance from the house and claim it’s haunted after a tragic incident took place with the previous tenants. When Eddi starts behaving weirdly. Hendrik and his new friends set out the discover the truth and lift the spooky curse off this house.
A scary German thriller movie that is also filled with fun family moments. This film has a nail-biting story and a charming cast that takes along on an exciting journey.
3. Schwarze Insel (Black Island)
Available on: Netflix
Cast: Alice Dwyer, Hanns Zischler, Mercedes Müller, Philip Froissant, Altamasch Noor, Sammy Scheuritzel
Jonas moves in with his grandfather who lives on a North Sea island after his parent’s death. He begins to settle down his life over when the arrival of a new German-language teacher throws everything up in the air. She takes a special liking towards Jonas and gives him more attention but in reality, she has a deep dark secret and a very evil plan to carry out.
This German thriller has some great production quality as well as a well-performing cast. The story has brisk pacing which means you’ll get by the runtime very quickly.
4. Anatomie (Anatomy)
Available on: Netflix
Cast: Franka Potente, Benno Fürmann, Anna Loos, Sebastian Blomberg, Holger Speckhahn, Traugott Buhre
Paula Hennig is a wide-eyed medical student who is doing a summer course at the reputed Heidelberg institute. One day when the body of a man she met the day before shows up on the dissection table, Paula is taken aback. She begins to investigate this mystery which leads her to discover the existence of a secret society at the institute that performs surgery on illegally obtained bodies.
A classic movie with a spine-chilling plot, ‘Anatomy’ is a German thriller that paints a bleak picture of the medical community and how worrying it might look behind the scenes.
5. Lola rennt (Run Lola Run)
Available on: Prime Video
Cast: Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup, Nina Petri, Armin Rohde, Joachim Król
Lola receives a call from her boyfriend who tells her that he lost a bag that contained 100,000 DM and if it isn’t returned to its rightful owner within 20 minutes, things will go very badly for him. Now it’s up to Lola to get to Manni before it’s too late, with every second and every movement counting towards the outcome of their predicament.
A well made German thriller that has allusions to past classics, this film has also spawned an Indian remake that was released earlier this year.
6. Der Fall Collini (The Collini Case)
Available on: Apple TV+
Cast: Elyas M’Barek, Alexandra Maria Lara, Heiner Lauterbach, Manfred Zapatka, Jannis Niewöhner, Rainer Bock
When public defender Casper Leinen is handed the case of retired Italian worker, Fabrizio Collini, he is left with a moral conundrum as his client has been charged with the murder of his mentor who had also served as a father-like figure in his life. However, as the case progresses, he begins to find out that his mentor had a dark past that he desperately wanted to hide.
A legal drama with a suspenseful plot and engaging sequences, this German thriller includes very strong performances that elevate the quality of the film on many levels.
7. Die Katze (The Cat)
Available on: Apple TV+
Cast: Götz George, Gudrun Landgrebe, Joachim Kemmer, Heinz Hoenig, Ralf Richter, Ulrich Gebauer
Two low-level thieves try to rob a bank but when they get trapped inside, they change up the plan and decide to ransom the bank employees for a sum of 3 million German marks. The police think that they’ve got the better of the hostage-takers but what they do not realize is that the real mastermind is watching their every move from outside.
A classic German thriller that has stood the test of time, this film has all the makings of a great heist film with its tense set pieces and wonderful dialogues.
8. Nichts als die Wahrheit (After the Truth)
Available on: Apple TV+
Cast: Kai Wiesinger, Götz George, Karoline Eichhorn, Doris Schade, Peter Roggisch, Bastian Trost\
When Dr Josef Mengele returns to Germany from his hideout in Argentina, he has to stand up and face the court for his horrid crimes. Young solicitor Peter Rohm has the unenviable task of defending the “death angel of Auschwitz” but being an expert on the man and what he has done makes Peter very uncomfortable to take on this job.
A fictional story about a very real person who was responsible for the death of more than 300,000 thousand Jews during World War 2, this German thriller puts the lead in a very uncomfortable position of defending a man who does not deserve it.
9. Das letzte Schweigen (The Silence)
Available on: Apple TV+
Cast: Ulrich Thomsen, Claudia Michelsen, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Katrin Sass, Sebastian Blomberg, Burghart Klaußner
When two girls are murdered at the same spot, 23 years apart, a small provincial town in Germany is rocked to its core and the police force is shaken up. The senior detective on the original case wants to assist with the new one but the current senior detective stops him from doing so. Will the detectives be able to work together to find the person responsible for this heinous crime?
A harrowing crime committed reason at the centre of this German thriller makes it a very icy, gripping film that will definitely make you feel uneasy and yet leave you in awe of its masterful storytelling.
10. Ballon (Balloon)
Available on: Apple TV+
Cast: Friedrich Mücke, Karoline Schuch, David Kross, Alicia von Rittberg, Thomas Kretschmann, Jonas Holdenrieder
Two families stuck in East Germany hatch a plan to escape to the west in a hot air balloon. Unfortunately for them, the balloon is hit by bad weather and they are brought down just 200 metres away from the border. Now they must attempt to make a sturdier balloon to carry out their escape but this time they have the Eastern state police looking for them while they do so.
Based on a true story, this German thriller is a story of perseverance and dedication in the face of danger. It is a solid film with an engrossing plot.
Also Read: 10 best German thriller series on Netflix, Prime Video & more