Berlin Syndrome

THE PLOT                                                                                       

Clare (Teresa Palmer) is a young tourist backpacking around Germany, taking photographs and exploring shops. She meets a local named Andi (Max Riemelt) and decides to stay an extra night in Berlin, having a one night stand with him. The next morning however she finds that he has locked her in his apartment with no intention of ever letting her go.

Andi lives what appears as a normal life with a day job and a relationship with his father who is a Professor. While Clare is locked up inside his apartment he has a casual dinner with his father where he mentions meeting a new young woman and even says her real name. His father asks what happened to Natalie? To which Andi replies that she went back to Canada. That night when Andi lets Clare shower, she finds long blond hair clumped in the drain, likely belonging to Natalie whose whereabouts is probably unknown. Clare realizes how dangerous Andi really is and while he is away the next day manages to find a screwdriver which she fails at attacking him with when he returns home.

One night a teenage student of Andi's named Franka (whom he is attracted to) shows up at his door. Franka sees a flash of Clare wet in a towel and Andi says it is his girlfriend and puts Franka down so that she leaves. Meanwhile Andi takes polaroids of Clare in disturbing positions and keeps them for himself.

Time passes as Andi keeps Clare locked up in his home as his prisoner, texting her mother from her phone. When he finds his father has died in his sleep he remains in his father's house for a few days, wandering around depressed, while Clare is left to her own devices. Unable to escape she takes polaroids of herself and eats what is left of the food until Andi finally returns a week later. He tells her his father has died, and she appears relieved as she thought he was not going to come back.

As the holidays approach, Clare's attitude seemingly changes and her mood brightens. She learns the accordion, bakes, cleans, and sleeps with Andi willingly. Just after Christmas, Andi takes her out into the forest, planning to kill her. Before he does, a child cries out running toward them saying his brother has hurt his leg. She whispers to the boy to go to the police, but he does not understand English and is afraid of her. After the boy's mother appears, Andi takes Clare home. Clare eventually finds a photo book filled with Polaroids of other victims--women who look just like her, that are assumed to have been murdered.

A man with a flashlight sees Clare in one of the unboarded windows and attempts to rescue her as she cries for help. Andi comes home just then and viciously kills the man. He then forces Clare to help wrap the body in plastic. He takes the body outside and burns it. More time passes, as Clare is held prisoner.

Andi hands out his students' workbooks, giving Franka hers. She opens it, revealing a Polaroid that Claire had hidden for her to find. She gasps and excuses herself. It is then revealed that every single student has found a damaging polaroid in their workbooks, and that Andi has been exposed. He leaves quickly, speeding back to his house. Franka has ridden her bike to the house and found Clare, but they have not had time to leave when Andi arrives. They hide, and Clare is finally able to traps Andi in the part of the house where he had kept her, locking him in there. Clare is seen later riding in a cab, putting back on a necklace her mother had given her, and that Andi had stolen. She cries happily as she lets her face feel the fresh air from the car window, finally free.