The Lives of Others
In 1984 East Berlin, an agent of the secret police conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives.
Trailer
Director
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Studio
N/A
Release
30 Mar 2007
Runtime
137 min
Genres
Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Cast & Characters
Ulrich Mühe
Martina Gedeck
Sebastian Koch
Did You Know?
Critical Assessment
The Lives of Others holds 8.4/10 on IMDb (440,932 votes), 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, 89/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of 2026-07-30
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.4/10 on IMDb (440,932 votes), 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, 89/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The public reaction to "The Lives of Others" is overwhelmingly positive, with many reviewers praising its thought-provoking and realistic portrayal of life under communist rule in East Germany. The film's ability to convey the corrupting power of the state and the struggles of individuals caught in its midst has resonated with audiences.
Reviews
Good guys facing tragic circumstances in an interesting period of history. Because you view the main characters lives from the perspective of the morally confused Stasi Officer investigating them, you receive more information than the characters have about their hopeless situatio…
portman123 · 10/10This isn't so much a thriller as a glaring example of the corrupting power of the state, and of those charged with crafting and implementing it's policies. "Dreyman" (Sebastian Koch) is an East German playwright who is popular with the communist elite because his works manage to…
CinemaSerf · 7/1020 years later, still one of the great movies of the century. An amazing realistic take on the last days of the failing East German state at a time when the lessons from its deserved demise are being forgotten and propaganda is trying to repaint it as greatness. Interesting scrip…
userloser · 10/10
From the trailer's comments
This movie had one of the most fulfilling and rewarding endings ever.
@peanutbutter48151623 · 675 likesThis was just named one of the top 5 films of the last 30 years by the London Film Critics Circle. Richly deserved
@milovy · 175 likesfun fact: the main actor actually lived in the DDR and was an activist against the regime.
@nihilistic.easyrider · 99 likesIt reminds me the quote " In Soviet Russia you don't listen to the radio, the radio listens you".
@BruceWayne-qe7bs · 39 likesWhat a masterpiece. A movie that will never leave you. Greetings from Croatia....
@andydufresne87 · 306 likesThe Lives of Others might be the best film I've ever seen, and the trailer is one of the best as well. It gives nothing away.
@Trevelbond · 299 likesThis movie is flawless in my humble opinion. Achieves everything it set out to achieve. It isn’t about ideological politicking but about how power dynamics work and how corruption operates at extreme levels. The guy who plays the main Stasi antagonist does a remarkable job. If th…
@cannibalholocaust3015 · 81 likesWe watched this in college. Truly a masterpiece.
@George_Kush · 39 likes