Overview
A group of friends confronts their deepest emotions while a forest fire rages nearby, igniting both passion and conflict.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- melancholic
- uneasy
- reflective evening
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Christian Petzold’s film as a sharply observed, beautifully controlled blend of romantic drama, dry comedy, and climate anxiety.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Leon prioritizes his novel and defensiveness while his relationships deteriorate around him.
The encroaching forest fire parallels the characters' destabilizing desires and interpersonal disclosures.
The Baltic holiday home and surrounding forest confine Leon, Felix, Nadja, and Devid in prolonged proximity.
The parched Baltic forest and spreading fire provide an escalating visual counterpoint to the characters' relationships.
Films like Afire, and why
A Summer's Tale
shared summer-house intimacy, romantic entanglements, social awkwardness, and wry dramatic comedy
The Worst Person in the World
shared relationship tension, emotional triangulation, literary sensibility, and conversational drama
Passages
shared European art-house romance, shifting desire, and psychologically observant interpersonal conflict
Movie Details
- Director
- Christian Petzold
- Release Date
- 2023-04-20
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (272)
Cast
- Thomas Schubert
- Paula Beer
- Langston Uibel
- Enno Trebs
- Matthias Brandt
- Jennipher Antoni
- Ralph Barnebeck
- Esther Esche
- Mario Fürstenberg
- Assunta Hamm
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 Afire about?
- At a Baltic summer retreat, a self-absorbed writer’s strained friendships and confused desires intensify as wildfire closes in around the house.
- What is Afire like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Afire as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Afire violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Afire as mild.
- What did critics think of Afire?
- Critics broadly regard Christian Petzold’s film as a sharply observed, beautifully controlled blend of romantic drama, dry comedy, and climate anxiety.
- Which films are like Afire?
- Films with a similar feel include A Summer's Tale, The Worst Person in the World, and Passages.
- How long is Afire?
- Afire runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch Afire?
- In United States, Afire is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
