New Showbiz

You are here:
Kalt ist die Angst

Kalt ist die Angst

2017

Director

Berno Kürten

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

Claire and David have been happily married for years, but there seems to be a curse on their marriage. They have been trying to have a child for a long time, but unfortunately without success. When David dies unexpectedly, Claire's life is thrown into complete chaos. But as she tries to come to terms with the loss, she suddenly discovers dark secrets that cast her husband in a completely new light: the respected aid worker was apparently involved in dirty business in Africa. And then for years he has also kept it from Claire that he has been having regular sex with the call girl Sabina. Suddenly more and more strange things are happening and Claire suddenly feels persecuted. Could David have been murdered? If so, who has something to cover up? And what did David's assistant Michael know? For Claire's psychiatrist and David's confidant Hagedorn, these are just delusions. But who can the widow trust now?

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

3.0/10

Limited

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Limited

The story centers on a heteronormative marriage between Claire and David. There is no evidence of queer identities or critiques of heteronormativity within the plot.

Gender Representation

Fair

Claire serves as the central protagonist, though her agency is initially limited by grief and gaslighting. The narrative relies heavily on the 'betrayed wife' trope.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Limited

While the plot involves connections to Africa through aid work, the focus remains on Western domestic fallout. It risks using African settings as a mere backdrop.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Limited

The film explores Western institutions like marriage and humanitarian ethics. It focuses on personal betrayal rather than a systemic critique of these cultural structures.

Disability Representation

Limited

Mental health is used primarily as a suspense mechanism through the character's perceived delusions. This functions more as a plot device than a nuanced portrayal of neurodivergence.

Strengths

  • Provides a complex study of personal deception and the deconstruction of a respected figure.
  • Uses a central female protagonist to navigate a world of professional and personal secrets.

Areas for Improvement

  • Relies on the 'betrayed wife' trope and traditional gender roles.
  • Uses mental health and psychological instability primarily as suspense-driven plot devices.
  • Risks utilizing African settings as a backdrop for European moral conflicts rather than providing agentic representation.

AI Analysis

Kalt ist die Angst is a conventional psychological thriller that prioritizes mystery and marital deception over intersectional representation. The narrative follows a traditional structure where a woman's reality is questioned following her husband's death. The film adheres to established genre tropes, such as the unreliable narrator and the 'betrayed wife.' While it touches on global themes through the husband's aid work, the perspective remains firmly rooted in a Western, heteronormative framework. Ultimately, the work lacks the intentionality to subvert social hierarchies, instead utilizing themes of mental instability and infidelity to drive a standard suspense plot.

How are these scores produced? →

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.