Overview
A young man's aimless wanderings through Berlin reveal the struggles of finding one's place in the world.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- witty
- absurd
- quiet evening
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Tom Schilling's appealing lead performance and the film's confident blend of melancholy, absurd humor, and black-and-white urban style, though some found its whimsy and deliberate aimlessness tedious.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film presents contemporary Berlin in black and white, reinforcing Niko's emotional detachment and the city's quietly comic bleakness.
After dropping out of university, Niko spends the day moving through Berlin and encountering a succession of awkward, dourly comic situations.
Niko's university dropout status, failed attempts to secure coffee, and difficulty participating in ordinary life express a wider crisis of direction.
The film repeatedly veers from melancholy to absurdity as Niko's mundane frustrations become socially awkward and darkly funny.
Films like A Coffee in Berlin, and why
Frances Ha
black-and-white urban day-in-the-life comedy balancing melancholy, awkward encounters, and generational aimlessness
Annie Hall
witty, neurotic urban dramedy with romantic disillusionment and self-conscious auteur sensibility
The Worst Person in the World
young-adult alienation, dry absurdity, and episodic wandering through a contemporary European city
The Graduate
deadpan humor and drifting protagonists confronting stalled adulthood and uncertain identity
Movie Details
- Director
- Jan Ole Gerster
- Release Date
- 2012-11-01
- Runtime
- 88 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (358)
Cast
- Tom Schilling
- Marc Hosemann
- Friederike Kempter
- Justus von Dohnányi
- Katharina Schüttler
- Arnd Klawitter
- Martin Brambach
- Andreas Schröders
- Ulrich Noethen
- Inga Birkenfeld
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Philo, OVID, Cineverse Amazon Channel
- 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 A Coffee in Berlin about?
- A drifting Berlin university dropout spends one strange day searching for coffee, connection, and a reason to rejoin ordinary life.
- What is A Coffee in Berlin like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Coffee in Berlin as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is A Coffee in Berlin violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in A Coffee in Berlin.
- What did critics think of A Coffee in Berlin?
- Critics broadly praised Tom Schilling's appealing lead performance and the film's confident blend of melancholy, absurd humor, and black-and-white urban style, though some found its whimsy and deliberate aimlessness tedious.
- Which films are like A Coffee in Berlin?
- Films with a similar feel include Frances Ha, Annie Hall, The Worst Person in the World, and The Graduate.
- How long is A Coffee in Berlin?
- A Coffee in Berlin runs 88 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Coffee in Berlin?
- In United States, A Coffee in Berlin streams on fuboTV, Philo, OVID, Cineverse Amazon Channel.
