Overview
A young boy grapples with guilt and the desire to save his family in this heartfelt drama-comedy.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- darkly comic
- warm
- family movie night
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics and audiences broadly embraced the film's warm dark comedy, inventive child-centered storytelling, and strong regional character.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story is rooted in a Bavarian village and draws on the Heimatfilm tradition identified in its genre metadata.
Sebastian imagines purgatory and divine punishment while trying to understand his mother's death.
Sebastian's guilt and bereavement drive darkly comic schemes involving rock stardom and finding his father a new wife.
Sebastian's family, radio station, and neighbors shape the practical and emotional conflicts of his life in the Bavarian village.
Films like Grave Decisions, and why
The Hudsucker Proxy
coming of age story blending mischievous humor, grief, family tension, and village community life
The Butcher Boy
warmly eccentric childhood perspective, dark comic fantasy, and emotional family storytelling
My Life as a Dog
rural community setting, bittersweet humor, and a child's imaginative response to loss
Movie Details
- Director
- Marcus H. Rosenmüller
- Release Date
- 2006-08-17
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (122)
Cast
- Markus Krojer
- Fritz Karl
- Jürgen Tonkel
- Jule Ronstedt
- Saskia Vester
- Franz Xaver Brückner
- Johann Schuler
- Sepp Schauer
- Heinz-Josef Braun
- Tim Seyfi
Common questions
- What is Grave Decisions about?
- An imaginative Bavarian boy turns guilt over his mother's death into a funny, heartfelt quest to save his soul and repair his family.
- What is Grave Decisions like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Grave Decisions as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Grave Decisions violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Grave Decisions as mild.
- What did critics think of Grave Decisions?
- Critics and audiences broadly embraced the film's warm dark comedy, inventive child-centered storytelling, and strong regional character.
- Which films are like Grave Decisions?
- Films with a similar feel include The Hudsucker Proxy, The Butcher Boy, and My Life as a Dog.
- How long is Grave Decisions?
- Grave Decisions runs 105 minutes.
