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Kalt ist die Angst

Name: Kalt ist die Angst
Director: Berno Kürten
Released: 2017

Representation Score

4.1/10

Fair

2017

Director

Berno Kürten

Runtime

0 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

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

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Category Breakdown

Does Kalt ist die Angst have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The story revolves around a marriage between Claire and David, which is centered on heterosexual relationships. There are no queer identities or critiques of the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender in the plot.

How does Kalt ist die Angst portray gender?

Fair

Claire is the main character, but her ability to act is initially limited due to grief and manipulation. The narrative heavily relies on the 'betrayed wife' cliché.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Kalt ist die Angst?

Limited

The plot involves connections to Africa through aid work, but the focus remains on Western domestic issues. It risks using African settings merely as a backdrop.

How does Kalt ist die Angst represent religion and culture?

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.

Does Kalt ist die Angst include 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.

Present on Screen

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.

Limited or Absent

Relies on the 'betrayed wife' cliché 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.

Official 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?

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