The Last Execution

A slow, suffocating descent into moral compromise and paranoia, watching a man trapped by the system he served.

Directed by

Franziska Stünkel

Genres

Drama, Thriller

Starring

Lars Eidinger, Devid Striesow, Luise Heyer

Tagline

Based on the true story of the secret death penalty in East Germany

Overview

The ambitious scientist Franz Walter doesn't hesitate when he is promised a professorship at the university. He immediately accepts, pledges absolute loyalty to the system and agrees to work for the GDR's foreign intelligence service until he can take up his new position. Together with his colleague Dirk, he is sent on foreign assignments to West Germany. Franz soon has to use blackmail to get innocent people to talk. But his superiors go even further: GDR refugees and their relatives are targeted to be psychologically destroyed, forged letters, medical diagnoses, surveillance and wiretapping are on the agenda. However, this is more than Franz can bear: he feels powerless and increasingly isolates himself. When he then decides to steal secret documents for a later defection to the West, this results in an unfortunate chain reaction leading to his arrest and ultimately to his execution...

How it feels

Dark, tense, melancholic and bleak. Measured and needs your attention.

About

Betrayal, power, guilt, isolation

Content

Mild violence, sexual content and language. No gore.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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