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Great Freedom

Great Freedom

2021116 minUnratedMidcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Director
Sebastian Meise
Starring
Franz Rogowski, Georg Friedrich, Anton von Lucke, Thomas Prenn

In post-war Germany, liberation by the Allies does not mean freedom for everyone. Hans Hoffmann is repeatedly imprisoned under Paragraph 175, which criminalizes homosexuality. Nevertheless, over the decades, he continues his quest for freedom and love, even if he finds it in the most unusual places.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Great Freedom?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Great Freedom streaming on MUBI and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Great Freedom?

Great Freedom earns 7 badges, led by Top 10% of films and Awards magnet.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Great Freedom worth watching?

Great Freedom's Midcredits score is the 93rd percentile of all films, from 47K ratings across 6 sources. 80% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

93rd percentile

Better received than 93% of films

94th percentile among Drama93rd percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)93rd
Approval (how many liked it)90th

76 /100

93rd percentile of all films

95th percentile among Drama92nd percentile among 2020s

Critics 89 · Audience 75

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.4 — solid but not unanimous.

80% liked it

90th percentile of all films

91st percentile among Drama90th percentile among 2020s
80% rated it 7–1020% rated it 1–6

Critics 97% · Audience 90%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 35 wins / 38 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

91st percentile

47K ratings across platforms

93rd percentile among Drama92nd percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 27% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$9.6K
Domestic gross$72K
Worldwide gross$219K

42nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both fans and detractors agree the film is a somber, slow-burning historical drama anchored by Rogowski's intense performance.

Fans praised

  • Franz Rogowski's towering, wordless physicality carries the film
  • Powerful historical reckoning with Paragraph 175's legacy
  • Tender love story within prison walls, avoiding clichés

Detractors panned

  • Tediously paced and conversationally dull
  • Fails to deliver hope or a satisfying conclusion for gay men
  • Feels derivative and overly bleak, with little new insight

What stands out

ActingDivisive92

Rogowski's wordless, transformative performance universally acclaimed; strong support from Georg Friedrich

Emotional impactDivisive85

Devastating and moving; a tearjerker for many, but some find it emotionally distant

AtmosphereDivisive85

Oppressive, claustrophobic prison world that feels simultaneously historical and urgent

OriginalityDivisive80

Fresh take on prison and queer cinema; some see it as derivative of other films

CharactersDivisive75

Hans's interiority and resilience praised, but some find the writing underwritten

Plot and storyDivisive65

Non-linear structure noted as original but disjointed for some; ending considered anticlimactic

PacingDivisive55

Slow burn that some find absorbing, others tedious; two-hour runtime felt overlong

EndingDivisive50

Ambiguous, ironic conclusion divides; some find it powerful, others unsatisfying

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men even
  • Under-30s vs over-30s even
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 5 points apart

Watch experience

What is Great Freedom 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 takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. 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 and patience.

What it feels like

Harrowing.

Moods
TenseMelancholicHopeful
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Tender · 13% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its subject with grave seriousness, avoiding irony or levity, and maintains a somber, observational stance.
The rideThe film sustains a tense, melancholic atmosphere that becomes more tender and hopeful in the later stretches.
StructureThe narrative unfolds linearly across decades, following Hans's repeated incarcerations without flashbacks or nonlinear devices.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: BittersweetHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a lingering ache: the weight of systemic injustice alongside the warmth of a singular, unexpected human bond.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet 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).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% (this title) · 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%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · 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%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Oppressive state: A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).

21% of films fit this archetype

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

Why this archetypeThe story follows a man repeatedly imprisoned under a discriminatory law, making the state's legal apparatus the central oppressive force he must endure.

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 filmsSelf
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% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% (this title) · Freedom 5% (this title)
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · 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%

Power

Oppression · 4% of filmsFreedom · 5% of filmsIdentity · 14% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film examines how systemic homophobic laws crush personal freedom and identity, and the resilience of the human spirit within confinement.
StanceThe film mourns the systematic destruction of lives by homophobic laws while quietly celebrating human connection that persists despite it.

The world

Mid 20th centuryInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score · Peter Brötzmann
SettingWest German prisons across post-war decades, with a brief glimpse of queer subculture
MusicThe score, co-composed by free jazz saxophonist Brötzmann and trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær, blends spare, melancholic tones with moments of raw texture.

Content guide

Is Great Freedom okay for kids?

Unrated

Great Freedom is not rated. As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (52/100), sexual content at intense (74/100), language at moderate (37/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (62/100) and frightening material at moderate (42/100). Its language has too few votes to rank. Overall it is heavier than 57% of unrated films.

Ratings in 12 other countries
  • UK18
  • Germany16
  • Ireland18
  • Czechia18+
  • GreeceΚ-18
  • MOD
  • Poland18
  • RO18+
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 60% of all filmsHeavier than 57% of unrated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for an unrated film
heavier than 43%
Sex & Nudity
Intense
heavy for an unrated film
heavier than 90%
Profanity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an unrated film
heavier than 85%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an unrated film
heavier than 33%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is sexual content and drug and alcohol content. Everything else sits at or below what unrated films usually carry.

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 Great Freedom have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Great Freedom?

Cast

Franz Rogowski
as Hans Hoffmann
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Georg Friedrich
as Viktor
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Anton von Lucke
as Leo Giese
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Thomas Prenn
as Oskar
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Thomas Stecher
as Wärter 1968
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Alfred Hartung
as Wärter 1945
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Mex Schlüpfer
as Kumpel Viktor
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
David Burnell IV
as Allierter
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Fabian Stumm
as Polizist
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Andreas Patton
as Staatsanwalt
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Great Freedom?

Movies like Great Freedom include Saptha Sagaradaache Ello - Side A (2023), The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and Widow of St. Pierre (2000). Of the 12 closest matches, most are prison dramas, and most are films that feel melancholic.

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

9 of these 12 share its world: life inside an institution. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Great Freedom?

682 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: prison drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.