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Chess Story(Schachnovelle)

✭ ✭ ✭ ✭   Read critic reviews

Germany, Austria · 2021
1h 52m
Director Philipp Stölzl
Starring Oliver Masucci, Albrecht Schuch, Birgit Minichmayr, Andreas Lust
Genre Drama, History, Thriller, War

1938, Vienna. Josef, an Austrian lawyer, is arrested by Nazi troops and thrown into solitary confinement. Josef is psychologically tormented for months due to his refusal to reveal confidential information to the police. To withstand the torture of his isolation, he becomes obsessed with chess.

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What are critics saying?

80

Film Threat by Benjamin Franz

Chess Story is a subtle, soft-spoken killer of a film. It’s absolutely worth your time if you like World War II-era dramas. Seek it out.

75

Movie Nation by Roger Moore

That’s what Chess Story is, mournful and just cryptic enough to leave you guessing what you just saw, but touched, engaged and intrigued by it, comfortable in realizing that over-explaining is not necessary and would spoil some of the fun.

75

Slant Magazine by William Repass

Philipp Stölzl craftily melds the genres of period drama and psychological thriller, not for the purposes of reheated nostalgia, but to shed a cold light on the recursions of historical trauma.

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