--- title: "Fatherland" year: 2026 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/fatherland" fi1m_id: "fatherland" imdb_id: "tt37304295" tmdb_id: 1437696 wikidata_id: "Q135825188" fi1m_score: 80 critics_score: 80 critics_reviews: 15 published: "2026-09-21" updated: "2026-09-21T01:24:20.828321+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Fatherland (2026) Directed by Paweł Pawlikowski · 1h 22m · Drama, History ## Identity Fatherland - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/fatherland - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** fatherland - **IMDb ID:** tt37304295 - **TMDB ID:** 1437696 - **Wikidata ID:** Q135825188 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37304295/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1437696, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q135825188 **Fi1m score: 80** · Critics 80 from 15 reviews *In a sentence:* A road trip through a ruined country in which the passenger does all the driving > Paweł Pawlikowski’s account of Thomas Mann’s 1949 return to a divided Germany is exact, handsome and over in 82 minutes. Sandra Hüller, as the daughter who steers him, gives it the pulse the script keeps politely to itself. ## Synopsis Germany, 1949. Thomas Mann (Hanns Zischler) left the country when the Nazis took power and has spent the war years in America. Now he is coming back for the first time, to speak in Goethe’s bicentenary year, and his daughter Erika (Sandra Hüller) is travelling with him to run the trip: the drafts, the officials, the invitations that are really traps. The country they cross is bombed flat and split between the western zones and the Soviet one, and everyone who greets them wants something. The Mayor of Frankfurt (Waldemar Kobus) has a ceremony waiting. The poet Johannes R. Becher (Devid Striesow) wants Mann in the East. The actor Gustaf Gründgens (Joachim Meyerhoff), once Erika’s husband, kept working through the regime her family fled. Her brother Klaus (August Diehl) is never far from her thoughts. ## Review In 1949 Thomas Mann, sixteen years out of Germany, went back to give a speech in Goethe’s bicentenary year to a country that had done without him. Paweł Pawlikowski’s film follows him and his daughter Erika across the wreck of it, west to east, in 82 minutes of black and white. It is a road film with no scenery, only rubble, hotel rooms, reception halls and the faces of people who stayed. The script, by Pawlikowski and Hendrik Handloegten, is mostly conversation, and nearly every conversation is about what the old man is going to say. Erika does the work. She reads the drafts, handles the officials, decides which invitations are traps, and Sandra Hüller plays her almost without raising her voice. What she does instead is watch. At one of the receptions the camera stays on her while a room full of Germans applaud her father, and we found ourselves near tears: she is the only person in the shot who knows what the applause cost, and nobody is applauding her. Hüller carries that knowledge in the set of her mouth. It is quieter work than [*Anatomy of a Fall*](https://film.one/film/anatomy-of-a-fall) and, we think, harder. Hanns Zischler plays Thomas Mann as a man who has decided to be a monument and finds it restful. He is courteous, slow, vain in the way of someone who has earned it, and nearly impossible to read. The film’s tension comes from watching Erika try to read him anyway. When he does say something unguarded, it lands because Zischler has spent an hour giving us nothing. Łukasz Żal photographs all this in a silvery monochrome that flatters nobody. Interiors are lit from windows, and the windows look out on ruins; production designers Marcel Sławiński and Katarzyna Sobańska build the hotels and halls as places that have been swept but not repaired. Aleksandra Staszko puts the Manns in good, dark, slightly foreign tailoring, so that in every room they look like visitors. Marcin Masecki’s music is used sparingly and stops when people speak. Pawlikowski cuts the film himself with Piotr Wójcik, and scenes end on the line that matters and not a beat later. Around the two of them is a gallery of people who stayed and managed. Joachim Meyerhoff plays Gustaf Gründgens, the actor Erika was once married to and who kept working through the Third Reich; his scenes with Hüller are the sharpest in the film, two people being civil across a gap neither will name. Devid Striesow’s Johannes R. Becher, the poet courting Mann for the East, is all warmth and paperwork. Enno Trebs and Theo Trebs appear as Wieland and Wolfgang Wagner, and Anna Madeley’s Betty Knox gives Erika someone to talk to who is neither German nor family. None of them is allowed to run long enough to become a relationship. That is our complaint, and several critics have made it more gently. The film is so well trimmed that it has trimmed away some of what we came for. Klaus Mann (August Diehl), Erika’s brother, is present, and how he is present we will leave you to find out, but we wanted more of him and of what he meant to her. The last twenty minutes have the shape of a film that is getting somewhere, and then it stops. We admired the discipline and sat through the credits feeling short-changed, which Pawlikowski has not made us feel before. [*Ida*](https://film.one/film/ida) and [*Cold War*](https://film.one/film/cold-war) were also short, and neither felt small. This does, a little. Those films were free to invent their people; here Pawlikowski is tied to what Thomas Mann did and said in a documented summer, and the tether shows. The ideas are all there: exile, who gets to come home and on what terms, a daughter spending her life on a father’s reputation. They are more often stated than dramatised. See it in a cinema: Żal’s greys need a big dark room, and so does Hüller’s stillness. Then go home and argue about whether Thomas Mann was right to go back. The film will not have told you, and we think that is a choice rather than a failure. *Fi1m score 80, published 21 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Every one of the fifteen reviews is positive, and the praise gathers in the same two places. Sandra Hüller’s performance as Erika Mann is singled out by almost every critic, usually for how much she conveys with so little: a clipped delivery, a glance held a beat too long. The black-and-white photography by Łukasz Żal draws the next most consistent admiration, and several reviews approve of how much history and grief Pawlikowski fits into roughly 80 minutes about a father and daughter’s 1949 road trip across a divided Germany. The reservations are mild and cluster around that brevity. Variety finds the film more intellectually engaging than emotionally haunting, and puts that down to how deliberately planned it feels. RogerEbert.com thinks it ends just as it begins to simmer, and The Wrap calls it smaller than Pawlikowski’s previous work. Radio Times, otherwise warm, suggests the economy could be read as a shortcoming. The spread is narrow, running from solid approval to Time Out’s full marks, with nobody below a clear recommendation. ## Straight answers **Is Fatherland worth watching?** *Fatherland* is worth watching for anyone with patience for a quiet, talk-driven historical drama, and we scored it 80. Sandra Hüller, as the daughter running Thomas Mann's 1949 return to Germany, is the reason to go, and Łukasz Żal's black and white deserves a cinema. Be warned that at 82 minutes it stops just as it seems to be getting somewhere. **How long is Fatherland, and what is it rated?** *Fatherland* runs 1h 22m. It is a drama and history film. **Where can I watch Fatherland in the US?** *Fatherland* is not on any streaming or rental service in the US at the moment. It is available in 1 other country; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How does Fatherland compare to Ida?** *Fatherland* and [*Ida*](https://film.one/film/ida) share a director, a cinematographer, black and white photography and a quiet woman carrying a heavy past, but *Ida* is the fuller film. There Pawlikowski was free to invent his people; here he is tied to what Thomas Mann did in a documented summer, and the film feels a little small for it. Start with *Ida* if you know neither. **What should I watch after Fatherland?** After *Fatherland*, try [*Ida*](https://film.one/film/ida) (2013, Fi1m 85): Pawlikowski and Żal in black and white, another quiet woman carrying a heavy past. Then [*Phoenix*](https://film.one/film/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix) (2014, Fi1m 68): Petzold’s postwar return, a woman coming home to a Germany that does not recognise her. ### Reviews we read (15) - **Time Out**, Phil de Semlyen (5/5): Pawlikowski packs thematic richness into a concise 80-minute opus that leaves the mind spinning with ideas of home, grief, art, and family. It praises Hüller's majestic, laconic performance and the elegant, engrossing set pieces framed in claustrophobic monochrome. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/fatherland-review-2026) - **Film Comment**, Jonathan Romney (90/100, inferred): The critic hails Pawlikowski’s film as a very special achievement that combines seriousness of content with lightness of texture. He singles out Sandra Hüller’s compelling performance as Erika Mann and Łukasz Żal’s luminous photography for particular praise. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/cannes-2026-cannes-opener-fatherland-teenage-sex-and-death-at-camp-miasma-in-waves-review/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Leslie Felperin (90/100, inferred): The film is a damn-near perfect period piece and masterful exploration of family, history, and angst, told with exacting restraint. It is immaculately performed by Sandra Hüller and Hanns Zischler and exquisitely rendered in silvery monochrome. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/fatherland-review-sandra-huller-pawel-pawlikowski-1236592480/) - **The Times**, Kevin Maher (90/100, inferred): The review calls the film a small but perfectly formed gem packed with ideas and heartbreak, highlighting the road-movie tension between the stolid Thomas Mann and his fiercely loyal daughter Erika, brought to life by Sandra Hüller's precise star turn. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/fatherland-film-review-pawel-pawlikowskis-film-is-small-but-perfectly-formed-9z85btnxb) - **Radio Times**, Patrick Cremona (4/5): Fatherland is another finely-tuned, accomplished work from Pawlikowski, thematically rich despite its slight narrative and brief runtime. It singles out Hüller's stupendous, subtle performance navigating the broken fatherland and family dynamic for particular praise, while noting the economical style as a possible downside. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/fatherland-review/) - **Sight and Sound** (80/100, inferred): The film is a model of economy and intelligence, demonstrating cinematic beauty in its brisk black-and-white portrait of Thomas Mann and daughter Erika's 1949 road trip across divided postwar Germany. It singles out Sandra Hüller's clipped brilliance and the sharply acted exploration of exile, compromise, and unrecognizable worlds for praise. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/fatherland-thomas-mann-takes-postwar-roadtrip-pawel-pawlikowski-brisk-beautiful-father-daughter-drama) - **Vulture** (80/100, inferred): Pawlikowski relishes black-and-white photography in this lustrous monochrome film, with an incredible Sandra Hüller performance. It takes place in 1949 on a trek across a shattered, divided Germany. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/fatherland-review-sandra-hller-is-having-one-hell-of-a-year.html) - **Screen Daily** (75/100, inferred): Pawlikowski achieves an imposingly heavyweight film executed with rare lightness and concision at 82 minutes, revolving around Thomas Mann and his critically challenging daughter Erika. It praises the ever-compelling Sandra Hüller and the finely honed script's regard for political, historical, and literary matters. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/fatherland-review-sandra-huller-and-hanns-zischler-command-pawel-pawlikowskis-finely-honed-literary-drama/5216564.article) - **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (75/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's meticulous black-and-white cinematography and its incisive exploration of post-WWII Germany's divided soul through the lens of Thomas Mann and his daughter, but notes it is more intellectually heady than emotionally haunting due to its deliberate, pre-planned approach. [Read](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/fatherland-review-pawel-pawlikowskis-sandra-huller-1236748388/) - **IndieWire**, Ryan Lattanzio (70/100, inferred): Pawlikowski fans will feel cozily, coldly at home with this chiseled-to-within-an-inch-of-its-life road movie. The mighty Sandra Hüller stars as Thomas Mann's daughter on an emotional postwar trip in 1949. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/fatherland-review-sandra-huller-pawel-pawlikowski-1235193023/) - **RogerEbert.com**, Brian Tallerico (70/100, inferred): The critic finds the film engaging with its painterly visuals and strong performance by Sandra Hüller, appreciating its exploration of complex historical and family themes without easy answers, though it feels short and ends just as it starts to simmer. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/cannes-2026-fatherland-parallel-tales) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (70/100, inferred): The critic praises this elegant, controlled historical vignette about Thomas Mann's 1949 return to Germany and the personal and political tensions it exposes for him and his daughter Erika. Hüller's intelligent performance as the anguished daughter is singled out for praise amid the film's taut exploration of exile, betrayal and the impossibility of homecoming. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/may/14/fatherland-review-sandra-huller-thomas-mann-pawel-pawlikowski-cannes-film-festivali) - **Deadline**, Stephanie Bunbury (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film peak Pawlikowski and a masterclass in artistic discipline, praising its precision-cut storytelling in 82 minutes that weaves personal family drama with postwar history. They single out Sandra Hüller's magnificent performance for conveying multiple emotions with subtle glances. [Read](https://deadline.com/2026/05/fatherland-review-pawel-pawlikowski-sandra-huller-1236904459/) - **The Playlist**, Gregory Ellwood (A-/B+): The critic finds Pawlikowski's post-war Germany drama striking and timely, with Sandra Hüller delivering a stellar, resonant performance as Erika Mann. The black-and-white cinematography and themes of grief and a divided nation are singled out for praise. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/fatherland-review-sandra-huller-pawel-pawlikowskis-germany-cannes-20260514/) - **The Wrap** (70/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as an elegant chamber piece in Pawlikowski's distinctive black-and-white style, driven by Sandra Hüller's quietly dazzling performance amid themes of loss, exile, and belonging. They note it feels smaller than his prior works but highlight its haunted beauty and perfect mix of love, death, and history. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/fatherland-review-cannes-sandra-huller/) ## Details - **Director:** Paweł Pawlikowski - **Director:** Paweł Pawlikowski - **Screenplay:** Paweł Pawlikowski, Hendrik Handloegten - **Cinematography:** Łukasz Żal - **Editor:** Piotr Wójcik, Paweł Pawlikowski - **Music:** Marcin Masecki - **Production design:** Katarzyna Sobańska, Marcel Sławiński - **Costume design:** Aleksandra Staszko - **Producer:** Edward Berger, Mario Gianani, Lorenzo Mieli - **Cast:** Sandra Hüller as Erika Mann; Hanns Zischler as Thomas Mann; August Diehl as Klaus Mann; Anna Madeley as Betty Knox; Devid Striesow as Johannes R. Becher; David Menkin as Arthur Quint; Joachim Meyerhoff as Gustaf Gründgens; Enno Trebs as Wieland Wagner - **Runtime:** 1h 22m - **Release (the US):** 6 November 2026 - **Genres:** Drama, History - **Budget:** $12 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52zHLYf25M0 ## Where to watch in the US Not streaming, renting or buying in the US at the last check. Also available in: DE. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Meeting Point Europe Award 2026: Meeting Point Europe Award (won) ## If you liked this - *Ida* (2013), Fi1m 85: Pawlikowski and Żal in black and white, another quiet woman carrying a heavy past. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/ida.md) - *Mephisto* (1981): Szabó’s film of the Gründgens story, from Klaus Mann’s novel, with Brandauer unforgettable. - *Germany Year Zero* (1948): Rossellini in the actual Berlin rubble, a year before the Manns arrived. - *Phoenix* (2014), Fi1m 68: Petzold’s postwar return, a woman coming home to a Germany that does not recognise her. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix.md) - *A Foreign Affair* (1948): Wilder finds comedy in occupied Berlin without pretending the ruins are not there. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/fatherland