Cut Off (2018) User Reviews

Finally a deserving Fitzek adaptation

[tanjareen-1 · 8/10 · 12 October 2018]

I just came back from the cinema and we saw "Abgeschnitten" as part of my Birthday gift. What can I say? It was finally the adaptation Fitzek deserves. As the best german thriller author there is, Fitzek already has a pretty cinematic way of writing. So I was stunned that movie adaptations of his material never quite seemed to work.

"Abgeschnitten" breaks this cycle. We were at the edge of our seats because we couldn't remember how the story turned out since it's been a couple of years that we read the book. So we really really were eager to find out and every step of the way was tension filled and at times quite creepy.

The story moves along at a nice pace and never gets boring. The gore is sometimes quite graphic but always serves the story and its origin (Fitzek wrote this one with pathologist Michael Tsokos). Bleibtreu is likeable as always but Jasna Fritzi Bauer holds her own. The whole movie is cast pretty well. Fahri Yardim even brings some needed comic relief at times. Because don't get me wrong: This is a good movie but not a lighthearted one.

The look and feel of the movie are elevated and I was pleasantly surprised by the good script. Even though I am german myself the dialogue in german movies can often feel quite wooden and bothers me. "Abgeschnitten" avoids this and many other traps of german filmmaking.

I definitely recommend this one if you are in the mood for a mysterious and creepy Thriller.

Better than expected

[dietaube · 7/10 · 24 October 2020]

I didn't expect much, but this one is really entertaining from start to end. Solid acting by the main actors, good amount of gore and graphic details to keep it fun for those who care and not a boring minute. A good watch.

Edge of your seat

[andrea-ee2 · 8/10 · 19 July 2020]

Excellent movie, just wish they'd "cut off" the movie before the last 3 minutes.

Pulling you into it more and more.

[Patient444 · 7/10 · 24 November 2019]

So definitely and by far this is not a perfect movie, yet it was a thrilling ride, with many unexpected turns and a satisfying ending.

European cinema is growing more and more, after showing some great horror examples, lately the thriller part is starting to develop nicely, thus I am sure we're going to be top notch in a few... well decades I perhaps. So ok, Asian cinema is great on its own, Europe just needs to develop its own traditions, ways.

Examples like Cut Off and The Guily clearly show the potential, thus I feel obliged to recommend this one. Sure, it may seem a tad bit too long at times but overall I think it was an captivating ride. It sort of reminds me of The Call or Kidnap, great style and substance, in smaller such productions.

Cheers!

Outstandng

[Gordon-11 · 8 September 2020]

Wow, this film is so intense that makes me completely focused on it. The twists and turns are numerous, and I have to rewatch some parts to follow it. It is an outstanding crime thriller!

Unstoppable Thrill Ride!

[AnirudhGod · 7/10 · 16 May 2021]

Each and every moment is amped up to the max that you will feel something at any point, and it will click with you. It starts out pretty hazy and chaotic, but once you settle in, the movie becomes a thrill ride. The constant snowy atmosphere, the grim hospital lighting, the disgusting autopsies and the overall journey of the protagonists is pretty solid and first class thriller stuff. I truly enjoyed it.

Some flaws would be that there are many annoying red herrings to distract the viewer, and the ending seemed to be a cop-out and felt a little cheesy. Anyways, thriller fans must really check this out.

Too much of everything

[baunacholi-86159 · 6/10 · 10 January 2021]

The base story line about revenge or justice was fine incl some of the twists. However, in my POV the whole movie felt overall too far fetched and overly constructed incl the acting or decision making. still, If you can ignore these aspects u get a slightly above average thriller with some (very) grim moments.

very solid exciting thriller movie

[scorefax · 7/10 · 26 October 2019]

Very stable and solid exciting thriller movie with a decent amount of brutality which is shown in a very graphic way. Some nice twists, a good portion of humor, good choice of german actors imho, Just a very solid and reliable 7 I would say, nothing really special or outstanding though that would make it a 8 or higher.

Cut off? Cut lose

[kosmasp · 9/10 · 3 May 2019]

Once in a while a really good german thriller comes along. A thriller that is up there with other european movies that have done justice to the genre (no pun intended). Moritz Bleibtreu is one of the german actors (actually generally speaking) of his generation. He doesn't always have the script to prove that or show it, but here he has something to put his teeth into and really go to town with the movie.

His costars are good too, which is imperative. Even if you may think it is not necessary for a thriller, you can feel the weight here and you can feel the tension. Since I haven't read the source material (novel), I do not know how close of an adaptation this is. I do know that this is really good though and it will have you guessing and at the edge of your seat!

Not another Serial killer movie..!!!

[kamalbeeee · 7/10 · 13 July 2020]

Its hard to watch if u r weak hearted or weak stomach because of detailed autospy scenes and brutal murder scenes... And story and screenplay also make you confuse if u r not watch too closely.. In my point of view i dont like bgm and some scenes looks artificial and there is no surprising twists...but still its watchable and not for family audience..

What the actual *#@%

[MongoLloyd · 2/10 · 4 July 2020]

The most convoluted, implausible storyline I've ever witnessed. Making that worse, the English dubbed version which ups the cringe factor considerably. I really don't know why I watched this.

Thrill grows like an avalanche!

[trashaze · 9/10 · 21 October 2020]

Don't believe bad reviews. I guess some do not understand the storyline. The thrill develops so fast and the camera angels are frightening! Really shocked me. Hopp you guys enjoy

Thriller ... So Cold...

[midhunshankar-91049 · 6/10 · 6 July 2020]

Very tense thriller if you have the stomach for it.Some nice twists, a good portion of humor.Nothing really special or outstanding though that would make it a 7 or higher.

A mess

[danielcereto · 4/10 · 13 October 2020]

A lot of characters, a lot of twists and overall a non sense. Maybe you need to watch 10 times to understand. Didn't buy it. So far from an excellent movie like Seven.

Is that your daughter?

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 26 July 2020]

The film introduces Linda (Jasna Fritzi Bauer ) who is attempting to escape from her abusive stalker ex-boyfriend Danny. She is on a German island with a storm cutting them off from the mainland. Meanwhile on the mainland coroner Paul Herzfeld (Moritz Bleibtreu ) is examining a mutilated corpse that gives him a clue. He discovers his estranged teen daughter has been kidnapped. She is being repeatedly raped. Linda happens to be on the beach by a another corpse when the phone rings. It is Paul and she is drawn into a game of "scavenger hunt with corpses." They are doing what they can to save Paul's daughter.

Things kept happening on the screen to keep you engaged and guessing. There is a twist or two. Jasna Fritzi Bauer did a good job as our reluctant protagonist. I found the dubbing satisfactory.

Guide: F-word, rape, nudity.

No matter its flaws, I somehow liked it

[Waedliman · 7/10 · 14 November 2020]

If you read thrillers, you like to get involved in one or the other illogical part and still you are captivated. In a movie you have to pack this very well, because here the visual component is added, which makes gaps in the story even more obvious. To make a long story short, "Cut Off" has many gaps, time jumps and hardly comprehensible motives for cruel actions. Director Alvart finds it hard to pull the strings, his actors try to follow him, but even a professional like Moritz Bleibtreu remains rather pale. I would have liked to see more of Lars Eidinger as a creep, less tricks in storm scenes and more insight into the psychology of the characters. That the car ride shown was not the way from Berlin to Cuxhaven, you only know if you know the route, I'll check that off generously. But despite all the criticism I have to admit that I enjoyed the gloomy tone and the immanent tension. Maybe it's just because of those lousy covid days.

Really Horrendous Overacting

[melleer · 6 September 2020]

The reactions to things are taken to the furthest possible extent. This director really understands how most people devour drama and don't stop to think how realistic it is. The overacting and reactions taken to extremes made this movie a chore to watch.

An adaptation of Sebastian's Fitzek novel

[Neptune165 · 7/10 · 18 May 2022]

I truly believe the book is 10x better than this movie. Its a good movie to watch when you bored especially during this pandemic....anything to keep us busy. This actually looks pretty decent compared to most of the trash out today. Sure may not be the most original plot ever but it's got my vote to definitely give it a watch.

Too much autopsy

[emilio-crespo-ecs · 6/10 · 11 November 2020]

There are too much autopsies. Hgggggg-gg&hgggggg-gg nnnnnnn

superb german thriller!!!

[tchitouniaram · 8/10 · 14 November 2020]

Just can't find anything bad to say about this movie!European cinema at its best!!! Very very very good!Enjoy!

what a jumbled up confusing story

[softspike · 4/10 · 3 July 2020]

Could have been a good thriller without point less autopsies

Totally unexpected, great film!

[salonnochildwall · 10/10 · 28 October 2020]

This is one of those films I love, it has no famous high profile, A list actors. Although all the actors are Fabulous Actors in their own right. They deserve the credit they get and I hope they go on to do big pictures. Thoroughly enjoyed this film from start to finish, the over dubs were not a problem to watch and didn't hinder the flow at all as far as I was concerned. Writing and acting was spot on throughout and kept me griped all the way through. Unexpected creepy surprise!

too much constructed saw wannabe

[GoatOfNeptune · 3/10 · 14 October 2020]

Unessesary violence, bad explained motivation of the caracters, it feels much to constructed to be believable. In the end i had no joy, the last twist was foreseable. what a waste of good german actors.

The brutality still resonates

[Phil_M_A_Kerr · 10/10 · 11 June 2019]

When I was trying to be an actor many years ago the director said to me, "We've got to take you out of your comfort zone!" I hated the saying then and I still hate it HOWEVER this movie definitely did just that. It wasn't just a punch to the guts, it was a punch to the soul. The brutality is relentless upon the living and the dead. It was 2 hours of dread. There was jokey banter in the film but I was always in a spin, I just couldn't laugh. Do I recommend this film? Firstly, this film was rated R18+ and was part of a German Film Festival. I thought to myself, "thank Christ for the ratings system". There are high production values and the acting is excellent. The non-CGI special effects (remember those?) were the basis of the film's brutality. My lasting reaction to the film is probably a testament to the skill and intricate knowledge behind those SFX. I won't discuss the film's 'suspense/thriller' plot because, as I may have already mentioned, it is the pulsating brutality within the story that has stayed with me. So much so that the plot is to some extent a moot point. Respectfully, I cannot recommend the film. I provide my review to help a potential mature viewer to decide.

Who made this garbage?

[psxexperten · 1/10 · 3 July 2020]

Most part of the movie was about people talking together with smartphones. The rest was mostly naked bodys and cutting off the skin or running around trying to escape a killer. Acting terrible. Story terrible. Amusement factor Zero. Random quote Honestly, if you're going to pick one movie to avoid watching, make it this one. It has one solitary redeeming feature, it ends. Sadly it takes around 2 hours to do that.