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Trailer

The Lives of Others

2006Movie2 h 17 minR

DramaThriller
88
ExcellentGoodWatch score
IMDb8.4Metacritic898.7Rotten Tomatoes92%96%

A tense, cathartic drama movie about history and politics, with standout direction and performances.

Good for date night · friends night · teens

Where to watch

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Not for laughs or adrenaline.

Movies with

Story

Before the Fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germany's Secret Police Listened to Your Secrets.

In 1984 East Berlin, dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler begins spying on a famous playwright and his actress-lover Christa-Maria. Wiesler becomes unexpectedly sympathetic to the couple, and faces conflicting loyalties when his superior takes a liking to Christa-Maria.

Feels like

  • Cold War Political Thriller
  • Psychological Character Study
  • Historical Drama
  • Surveillance State Atmosphere
  • Moral Redemption Arc
  • Tense & Atmospheric
  • Humanist Narrative
  • Acclaimed International Cinema
  • Emotional Depth

Cast

24 of 34

Crew

Directed by
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Written by
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Produced by
Max Wiedemann, Quirin Berg
Music by
Gabriel Yared, Stéphane Moucha

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

March 23, 2006 · 2 h 17 min · R

Released
March 23, 2006
Runtime
2 h 17 min
Age rating
R
Content
Strong Language, Disturbing Imagery
Genres
Drama, Thriller
Original language
German
Made in
Germany, France
Budget
$2 million
Box office
$78 million
Available in
24 countries

Tropes

Double Take, Lonely Piano Piece, Bookends +9

  • Double Take
  • Lonely Piano Piece
  • Bookends
  • Establishing Character Moment
  • Villain Has a Point
  • You Are Number Six
  • Wham Line
  • Nice Job Fixing It, Villain!
  • I Never Said It Was Poison
  • Died in Your Arms Tonight
  • Ascetic Aesthetic
  • Auto Erotica

12 of 84 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

6 questions, like "Where can I stream The Lives of Others?"

Questions about The Lives of Others

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream The Lives of Others?

In the United States, you can rent or buy The Lives of Others from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, and FlixFling. It streams in 22 other countries, but not in the United States.

Is The Lives of Others worth watching?

88
ExcellentGoodWatch score

Yes, it's widely acclaimed, with a GoodWatch score of 88 (IMDb 8.4, Rotten Tomatoes 92%, and Metacritic 89).

Is The Lives of Others plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on character depth (9 of 10) and pathos (7 of 10) more than on its plot.

Was The Lives of Others a box office hit?

Budget$2 million
Box office$78 million

Yes, a big one: it cost about $2 million to make and earned $78 million worldwide, 38.8 times its budget.

Is The Lives of Others in English?

German

No, it was made in German.

What tropes does The Lives of Others use?

Double TakeLonely Piano PieceBookendsEstablishing Character MomentVillain Has a PointYou Are Number SixWham LineNice Job Fixing It, Villain!I Never Said It Was PoisonDied in Your Arms TonightAscetic AestheticAuto Eroticaand 72 more

TV Tropes lists 84 tropes for it, including Double Take, Lonely Piano Piece, and Bookends.