Our take
Good movies usually aren’t lengthy movies, unless we’re talking about cases like Toni Erdmann. It’s a supremely smart German-Austrian comedy that depicts the story of a Father-Daughter tandem in light of life’s weirdest, most inconvenient moments. Deciding to visit his daughter on a whim after his dog dies, Winfried (Peter Simonischek)—a man known for his outrageous pranks and many a disguise—flies to Bucharest. Ines (Sandra Huller), the daughter, buzzing with work to the brim in a very challenging job, to say the least, isn’t impressed. This leads to even more uncomfortable encounters as the estranged father poses as the title character, life coach to the disapproving daughter’s boss. On top of being a shrewdly observed and relevant movie, the brilliant writing by Maren Ade crafts something thoroughly enjoyable and heartfelt here, highlighting the importance of family bond in an oddly sweet way, and criticizing modern-day work ethic and the toll its taking on us. The beginning is a bit slow, but if you’re a bit patient you will be surprised how much this movie will reward you.
What it won
Other
1 nom
The story
Convinced that his daughter has forgotten how to laugh, a father shows up unannounced while she's living abroad and bombards her with outrageous jokes.
Elsewhere
"As great as you've heard, and probably even greater."
— David Jenkins
"Flat, sober, paced like an art picture, its themes never directly announced: Toni Erdmann should be deadly. Instead, people scream at the screen. Really, they go crazy."
— David Edelstein
The details
Who picked it
Christina Hale is a contributing writer at A Good Movie to Watch, focused on highlighting overlooked films and shows across the major streaming platforms. Her reviews emphasize craft and storytelling over algorithmic popularity.
