When World War II cinema meets the delicate touch of Fatih Akin, the result is not another battlefield spectacle but a deeply personal coming-of-age story. Amrum (2025) transports audiences to the closing days of the war through the eyes of a boy burdened with far more than his years. Since premiering at Cannes, the film has stirred critics worldwide, with responses ranging from glowing admiration to cautious critique. Planet of Films brings you a detailed review roundup of how Amrum is resonating across the film landscape.
Critical Praise: A Tender Coming-of-Age Amid Ruins
Variety: A Subtle Yet Stirring Wartime Story
Variety’s review praised Amrum for its restraint, calling it “a wartime film that whispers rather than shouts.” The outlet highlighted Akin’s decision to avoid melodrama, instead focusing on the textures of daily survival and the emotional bond between mother and son. Jasper Billerbeck’s quiet, moving performance was singled out as a standout.
Screen Daily: Strong Performances, Measured Storytelling
Screen Daily noted that Amrum thrives on its performances, particularly Sandra Hüller’s nuanced portrayal of a grieving yet determined mother. While some critics felt the pacing was deliberately slow, the review acknowledged that this reflective rhythm suited the story’s themes of waiting, loss, and uncertain hope.
The Hollywood Reporter: A Personal War Story
The Hollywood Reporter emphasized the personal scale of the film, calling it “a moving story about the end of innocence at the end of a war.” The review also praised cinematographer Gordon Timpen, whose muted visuals capture the bleak beauty of northern Germany in 1945. However, it did note that the film’s subdued tone may feel too understated for viewers expecting grand historical drama.
Critics have largely embraced Amrum for its restrained storytelling and emotional power. Namrata Joshi of The New Indian Express calls it “a tender coming-of-age film that steers clear of the sappy and the showy.” For her, Akin’s triumph lies in his ability to capture the fragility of childhood innocence without ever turning manipulative.
TIME’s Stephanie Zacharek echoes this view, describing Amrum as “a lovely departure for Akin.” Known for hard-hitting dramas like Head-On and In the Fade, Akin here chooses quiet empathy over fiery spectacle, showing a filmmaker unafraid to evolve.
For TheWrap, what resonates most is the symbolism. The pursuit of honey and bread becomes more than survival—it becomes a metaphor for tenderness against the brutality of history. The review praised the film as “quietly and gracefully” realized, proving that sometimes the smallest quests carry the greatest weight.
German Press: A Cultural Reflection
German critics, including outlets such as Die Zeit and Der Spiegel, responded warmly, framing Amrum as an important addition to the country’s cinematic memory of WWII. Some reviewers applauded Akin for crafting a story of human resilience, while others debated whether the narrative risks being too modest to leave a lasting impact.
Jasper Ole Billerbeck’s Breakout Performance
If one name has risen above the film itself, it is that of Jasper Ole Billerbeck. Making his debut, the young actor is hailed as the film’s emotional core. The Hollywood Reporter singles out his ability to embody both wide-eyed innocence and the crushing weight of responsibility. His journey—trying to reconcile loyalty to his mother with a dawning moral clarity—anchors the film in raw humanity.
Laura Tonke’s performance as Hille is equally complex. Playing a grieving mother whose devotion to Hitler blinds her to reality, Tonke delivers a role that is unsettling yet deeply human. Meanwhile, Diane Kruger adds a quiet moral counterbalance, portraying resilience in the face of collapsing ideology.
A Bold Return for Fatih Akin
German-Turkish filmmaker Fatih Akin, celebrated for works like Head-On and In the Fade, has returned to the big screen with Amrum. Premiering at the 2025 San Sebastián International Film Festival, the film has quickly generated buzz among critics for its emotionally layered take on the final days of World War II. Unlike many wartime dramas that focus on battles or political intrigue, Akin shifts the lens to a deeply personal story of survival, grief, and identity.
The film’s festival reception has been strong, with many critics noting its balance between historical weight and intimate storytelling. Let’s take a closer look at the film itself and what reviewers from major outlets have said.
Cinematography and Atmosphere: Beauty in the Ashes
One of the most widely praised elements of Amrum is its visual design. Shot by Karl Walter Lindenlaub, the film uses the stark landscapes of the North Sea island to reflect Nanning’s emotional world. Screen International admired its “beautifully shot and delicately shaded” approach, where open skies and windswept dunes frame the intimate struggles of survival.
Variety noted that the film “walks an impossible morality line with delicate beauty.” The cinematography avoids heavy-handed symbolism yet still turns everyday objects—bread, honey, salt air—into carriers of immense weight.
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Mixed Notes: Pacing and Aesthetic Choices
Not all critics were unreservedly convinced. RogerEbert.com’s Brian Tallerico argued that the film’s “lush compositions” sometimes undercut the realism of its story. In his view, the visual beauty risks romanticizing hardship, softening the harshness of post-war life.
Others mentioned pacing. Outlets like Gazettely felt the story lingers a bit too long on mood, leaving some secondary characters underdeveloped. For viewers seeking faster narrative drive, Amrum may feel more like a meditation than a dramatic arc.
Still, even among detractors, the general acknowledgment is that Akin achieves something powerful by privileging atmosphere over action.
Themes That Resonate Beyond History
At its heart, Amrum is more than a wartime tale. It’s a film about inheritance of belief—how children absorb ideology without questioning it, and how painful it is to unlearn it. Through Nanning’s eyes, audiences witness the fragility of innocence when weighed against history’s darkest lessons.
The screenplay, co-written with veteran filmmaker Hark Bohm, is partly inspired by Bohm’s own childhood memories, giving it authenticity. In a year where WWII cinema is often measured by scale (The Zone of Interest, All Quiet on the Western Front), Amrum stands apart by being deliberately small, personal, and deeply human.
Why Amrum Deserves Your Attention
So, is Amrum worth your time? Absolutely. While not flawless—its pacing and polished visuals may divide opinion—it emerges as one of 2025’s most quietly powerful films. For viewers patient enough to settle into its rhythm, Amrum offers not just a story of a boy and his mother, but a profound reflection on innocence, ideology, and survival.
With Jasper Ole Billerbeck’s breakout performance, Laura Tonke’s haunting portrayal, and Akin’s unexpected tenderness, the film positions itself as a standout in post-war cinema. As Deadline Hollywood suggested, Amrum may well become Germany’s awards contender, but more importantly, it is a film that lingers in memory long after the credits roll.
Film Details: Amrum (2025)
Director: Fatih Akin
Screenwriters: Fatih Akin, Hark Bohm
Producers: Bombero International, Warner Bros. Germany, Rialto Film
Cinematography: Gordon Timpen
Release Date: September 25, 2025 (Germany)
Cast:
Jasper Billerbeck as Nanning
Sandra Hüller as Mother
Additional supporting roles by German ensemble cast
Synopsis: Childhood Meets War’s Bitter End
Set in the spring of 1945, Amrum follows Nanning (Jasper Billerbeck), a boy who wants nothing more than to bring his suffering mother a slice of bread with honey. What seems like a simple task turns into a profound odyssey through a collapsing world.
With Hitler dead and Germany in ruins, Nanning finds himself searching not only for food but also for his place in a world without order. His mother, played by Sandra Hüller, embodies both resilience and fragility, becoming the emotional heart of the film.
Akin frames this as a coming-of-age tale where innocence collides with the brutality of history. Rather than offering sweeping battle scenes, the director narrows the scope to small yet powerful human moments that reveal the silent devastation left behind by war.
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