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Angry Harvest

Angry Harvest

1985105 minRMidcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Director
Agnieszka Holland
Starring
Armin Mueller-Stahl, Elisabeth Trissenaar, Wojciech Pszoniak, Gerd Baltus

In the winter of 1942-43, a Jewish family leaps from a train going through Silesia. They are separated in the woods, and Leon, a local peasant who's now a farmer of some wealth, discovers the woman, Rosa, and hides her in his cellar. Leon's a middle-aged Catholic bachelor, tormented by his sexual drive. He doesn't tell Rosa he's seen signs her husband is alive, and he begs her to love him. Rosa offers herself to Leon if he'll help a local Jew in hiding who needs money. Leon pays, and love between Rosa and him does develop, but then Leon's peasant subservience and his limited empathy lead to tragedy. At the war's end, a ray of sunshine comes from an unexpected place.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Angry Harvest?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Angry Harvest streaming on Kino Film Collection via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Angry Harvest?

Angry Harvest earns 5 badges, led by Hidden Gem and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Angry Harvest worth watching?

Angry Harvest's Midcredits score is the 77th percentile of all films, from 1.5K ratings across 4 sources. 71% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

77th percentile

Better received than 77% of films

80th percentile among Drama79th percentile among 1980s
Acclaim (how much people like it)72nd
Approval (how many liked it)80th

68 /100

72nd percentile of all films

74th percentile among Drama75th percentile among 1980s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.0 — solid but not unanimous.

71% liked it

80th percentile of all films

82nd percentile among Drama81st percentile among 1980s
71% rated it 7–1029% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 3 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Foreign Language Film

35th percentile

1.5K ratings across platforms

37th percentile among Drama31st percentile among 1980s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 21% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Fans praised

  • Mueller-Stahl's superb, touching performance as a deeply conflicted anti-hero
  • Subtle character study of conscience versus love, avoiding typical Holocaust focus
  • Intense, daring chamber drama with full physical effort from leads

Detractors panned

  • Uneven total effect, handled with too much detachment
  • Leaves more questions than answers, with contradictory character actions

What stands out

Acting80

Mueller-Stahl's performance superb and touching; Trissenaar also carries the film

Originality75

Unique approach to WWII era, concentrated chamber drama

Characters70

Deeply conflicted anti-hero and desperately miserable female character

Emotional impact70

Intense relationship drama with despair and twisted affection

Tension65

Masochistic tug-of-war; psychological rather than thriller

Plot and story60

Focus on ambiguous moral relationship, not Holocaust action

Pacing55

Slightly uneven and detached in places

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Angry Harvest like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Harrowing: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for a hard story that does not look away.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Harrowing.

Moods
TenseMelancholicDread
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its grim subject matter with detached gravity, observing moral decay without sentiment or condemnation.
The rideThe film maintains a tense, melancholic atmosphere that escalates to dread, with the emotional weight concentrated in the tragic final act.
StructureThe story unfolds in chronological order, following the arc of the encounter from hiding to tragedy.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

The answer rests on this: Haunting · 14% of filmsDevastating · 3% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe tragedy of a relationship born from exploitation leaves a lingering sense of moral ruin and sorrow.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% (this title) · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Doomed love: Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).

9% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA tragic arc driven by a relationship ruined by power imbalance and circumstance, where a hidden identity and the protagonist's compromised choices lead to ruin.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfBetrayalMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3% (this title)
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Betrayal · 5% of filmsSurvivalObsession · 3% of films: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on Leon's betrayal of Rosa's trust by hiding the truth about her husband, intertwined with her desperate survival and his consuming obsession.
StanceThe film examines the moral complexity of Leon's betrayal and Rosa's survival without passing easy judgment, focusing on their intimate struggle.

The world

Mid 20th centuryRuralDomesticRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Jörg Straßburger
SettingA peasant farm in Silesia during the winter of 1942-43.
MusicThe score underscores the emotional tension without overwhelming the intimate drama.

Content guide

Is Angry Harvest okay for kids?

R

Angry Harvest is rated R. As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at moderate (50/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • Netherlands12
Overall
Moderate · 4 of 5 categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (5 votes across 4 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Angry Harvest have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Angry Harvest?

Cast

Armin Mueller-Stahl
as Leon Wolny
Elisabeth Trissenaar
as Rosa Eckart
Wojciech Pszoniak
as Cybulkowski
Gerd Baltus
as Geistlicher
Käte Jaenicke
as Anna
Margit Carstensen
as Eugenia Kaminska
Kurt Raab
as Maslanko
Hans Beerhenke
as Kaspar
Anita Höfer
as Pauline
Isa Haller
as Magda

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Angry Harvest?

Movies like Angry Harvest include In Darkness (2011), In the Land of Blood and Honey (2011) and The Night Porter (1974). Of the 5 closest matches, most are captor-and-captive stories, and two are war films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Angry Harvest?

1.8K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: captor and captive. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.