You are here:

Das Lied des toten Mädchens

Name: Das Lied des toten Mädchens
Director: Felix Herzogenrath
Released: 2021
Duration: 88 min

Representation Score

4.2/10

Fair

2021

Director

Felix Herzogenrath

Runtime

88 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Das Lied des toten Mädchens is a genre-driven mystery that prioritizes narrative tension and the deconstruction of past investigative errors. It functions primarily as a procedural thriller rather than a vehicle for storytelling that reflects multiple aspects of identity. The film succeeds in centering women's ability to drive the story through its lead protagonist, providing a modern perspective on investigative work. However, the social landscape remains largely homogeneous, adhering to standard crime thriller conventions. Ultimately, the work focuses on individual ability to act and the pursuit of truth within a traditional framework, rather than subverting broader social hierarchies or centering diverse identities.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Das Lied des toten Mädchens have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not include explicit LGBTQ+ characters or narratives. It maintains a neutral baseline typical of procedural crime dramas where non-straight relationships are not central to the plot.

How does Das Lied des toten Mädchens portray gender?

Fair

The story is driven by women's ability to drive the story through Stefanie Schneider. Her role as an ambitious journalist shifts the focus from traditional male-centric detective clichés toward female intellectual labor.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Das Lied des toten Mädchens?

Limited

The setting and character descriptions suggest a relatively homogeneous social environment. There is no evidence of significant racial or ethnic diversity within the primary cast or historical context.

How does Das Lied des toten Mädchens represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative critiques institutional failure and the fallibility of legal authorities. It explores how investigators missed critical gaps in the original 1995 case.

Does Das Lied des toten Mädchens include disability representation?

Minimal

No specific details regarding visible or invisible disabilities are present in the narrative to allow for a definitive assessment.

Present on Screen

The film provides strong women's ability to drive the story through the protagonist, Stefanie Schneider.
It offers a compelling critique of institutional memory and investigative fallibility.

Limited or Absent

The narrative lacks significant racial and ethnic diversity within its setting.
There is no explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight narratives.

Official Synopsis

Sauerland, autumn 1995: In the middle of the forest on the Wilzenberg, a walker finds the body of high school graduate Sonja Risse. However, the fact that the killer left a music box with the lullaby "Hush Little Baby" at the crime scene does not lead to a clear solving. 25 years later, the investigative journalist Stefanie Schneider, known as "Mütze", made a surprising discovery in Cologne. In a disused multi-storey car park, she films an undressed corpse of a man with a music box running next to it! When her colleague Jan Römer, who reported on the spectacular Sonja case as a young journalist in 1995, recognizes the melody from back then, he immediately believes there is a connection. He goes to Wilzenberg with his ambitious colleague to interview Sonja's mother Maria, her former teacher Waldheim and her best friends. The more the journalists compile, the clearer the contradictions and gaps that the investigators should have noticed at the time.

How are these scores produced? →