Before the Fall

Set in Germany in 1942, the story follows Friedrich Weimer, a talented young boxer from a working-class background. Despite his father's disapproval, Friedrich joins a National Political Academy, an elite boarding school designed to train future leaders of the Nazi regime. While initially drawn to the school's sense of camaraderie, Friedrich soon encounters systemic cruelty and violence. He forms a close bond with Albrecht, the sensitive son of a high-ranking official who harbors doubts about the state ideology. As the students are forced to participate in brutal activities, Friedrich begins to question the beliefs he is being taught.

The drama was directed by Dennis Gansel, marking his second feature film after Das Phantom. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Maggie Peren. The movie stars Max Riemelt as Friedrich and Tom Schilling as Albrecht, with supporting roles played by Devid Striesow, Joachim Bißmeier, Justus von Dohnányi, and Michael Schenk. Produced by Constantin Film, ARD, Seven Pictures, and OLGA FILM, the project had a budget of 5 million USD and earned 4 million USD at the worldwide box office. Audience reception has been generally positive, with a rating of 7.4/10 on IMDb from 19,000 votes and 7.1/10 on TMDB from 379 votes. These viewers rated the film higher than critics, who gave it a score of 6.5/10.