Overview
A gripping tale of survival and moral conflict in a time of war.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- harrowing
- tense
- morally complex
- historical film study
- serious movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a gripping, well-acted account of a prisoner's moral dilemma, anchored by Karl Markovics.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Salomon and the detainee counterfeiters receive improved conditions only by producing currency for the Nazi regime.
Salomon weighs protecting prisoners through cooperation against Burger's refusal to aid Operation Bernhard.
The film centers on Mauthausen and Sachsenhausen barracks, workshops, guards, and administrative structures.
Salomon's identity as a master counterfeiter determines his selection for the secret camp operation.
Films like The Counterfeiters, and why
Son of Saul
shared world war ii setting, concentration camp drama, moral conflict, and grave historical realism
The Pianist
shared holocaust subject, prisoner resistance, historical drama, and harrowing institutional oppression
Sophie's Choice
shared world war ii moral dilemmas, ethical compromise, and tense survival drama
Army of Shadows
shared historical crime premise, wartime tension, and protagonists forced into morally compromised choices
Movie Details
- Director
- Stefan Ruzowitzky
- Release Date
- 2007-03-22
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (717)
Cast
- Karl Markovics
- August Diehl
- Devid Striesow
- Martin Brambach
- August Zirner
- Veit Stübner
- Sebastian Urzendowsky
- Andreas Schmidt
- Tilo Prückner
- Lenn Kudrjawizki
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Counterfeiters about?
- A master forger imprisoned by the Nazis must navigate survival, resistance, and complicity inside a secret concentration-camp currency operation.
- What is The Counterfeiters like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Counterfeiters as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Counterfeiters violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Counterfeiters as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Counterfeiters?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a gripping, well-acted account of a prisoner's moral dilemma, anchored by Karl Markovics.
- Which films are like The Counterfeiters?
- Films with a similar feel include Son of Saul, The Pianist, Sophie's Choice, and Army of Shadows.
- How long is The Counterfeiters?
- The Counterfeiters runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Counterfeiters?
- In United States, The Counterfeiters is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
