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5.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Der Doppelgänger remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies that feel like a stage play having a nervous breakdown, go for it. It's short, it's weird, and it moves at a pace that suggests the director was late for a train. If you need logic or characters who make sensible life choices, stay far away.
There's this moment where Jenny pulls a gun on Harry, and it’s meant to be tense. Instead, it feels like they’re just trying to figure out where to stand so the camera can see them both. It’s awkward in a way that’s actually kind of charming.
The whole thing revolves around whether Harry is actually Harry or some kind of copycat. It’s the kind of premise that could be a psychological heavy-hitter like The Suspect, but here it just turns into a slapstick chase.
Gerda Maurus looks exhausted for most of the runtime. I don't blame her. She has to carry the 'is he or isn't he' weight while everyone else is running around doing bits. The pacing is just bizarre. One minute we're doing a serious confrontation, the next we’re in a farce.
It’s nowhere near the scale of A Ship Comes In, but it’s got its own specific, frantic energy. It’s not trying to be high art. It’s just trying to keep you guessing, even if the answer is sitting right in front of you the whole time.
The ending lands with a thud, but that’s okay. The movie is a bit of a relic. Sometimes you just want to watch people in fancy suits lose their minds for an hour. 🎞️