March 26, 2026
FILM: MIRRORS NO. 3
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: CHRISTIAN PETZOLD
STARRING: PAULA BEER, BARBARA AUER, MATTIAS BRANDT
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Christian Petzold is an intriguing German director who has made a number of films featuring characters with sometimes questionable motives and psychological struggles. These include Afire (2023), Transit (2018), and Phoenix (2014.) I can’t say the films have been ultimately very satisfying to me (except for maybe Phoenix) but they offer intrigue nevertheless. Mirrors No. 3 is no different. It’s a film which provokes a number of questions but allows its answers to peter out near the end without a significant splash.
At the start of the story, Laura, played by Paula Beer is in the German countryside looking forlorn and depressed. She doesn’t want to be there with her boyfriend Jakob who is about to meet a music producer. In the midst of her dissatisfaction, he decides to take her back to Berlin but the journey is cut short while still in the rural setting when he is killed in a car accident. Laura is found by a woman named Betty who has been mysteriously eyeing her as she passes by on the road. Betty takes it upon herself to look after Laura who is now not in a hurry to get back to Berlin where she studies piano at a university. Her attitude is noticeably different as she almost seems more relaxed now that Jakob is gone.
What follows is a period in which Laura resides with Betty who we find out from her husband Richard and son Max is “off her pills.” Curiously, they don’t seem to be living with Betty but are quite concerned about her condition and are puzzled by the presence of Laura. What Betty is going through becomes one of the many questions we toy with while viewing the film. What happened to her? Why does she accidently call Laura, “Yelena”? We’re just as confused about Laura. Why does she seem so calm and self-assured? Why isn’t she feeling any of the after effects of the accident? Why are these women so drawn to each other? Why do passersby stare at Laura while she’s helping Laura with painting and gardening? The narrative changes its focus between each of the characters muddling the perspective and details of the story.
The questions posed are definitely intriguing though. The unraveling of the story’s mysteries is steadily paced and one hopes for something dramatic to happen to help clear them up. It is not until much later in the film when we are given some of the answers, which end up being not particularly surprising. Clues as to what has been happening are being given along the way resulting in an ending that feels a bit emotionally and narratively flat.
There’s no question though that Petzold knows how to create the appropriate atmosphere for the story. Everything about the setting feels alive, from the blowing trees and wind to the sounds of birds in the distance. The front door of Betty’s home is always open, suggesting that she is inviting in the country’s aura and mysteries. The home, while rather run down, and its surroundings feel very inviting as if we are spending a few days basking in the softness of the setting.
The actors are all very good. Paula Beer has been in other Petzold films and is clearly in control of her character’s emotional state, as perplexing as it feels from the outside. Barbara Auer as Betty has a look and warmth to her that is reminiscent of Ingrid Bergman or Dianne Wiest. She’s quite an interesting to actor to observe suggesting layers to Betty that could require a few films to really understand.
In the end though, if it’s plot one is looking for, this one is fine if a bit of a letdown in terms of suspense and resolution.
Mirrors No. 3 opens in limited release this week.
FILM: MIRRORS NO. 3
WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: CHRISTIAN PETZOLD
STARRING: PAULA BEER, BARBARA AUER, MATTIAS BRANDT
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
Christian Petzold is an intriguing German director who has made a number of films featuring characters with sometimes questionable motives and psychological struggles. These include Afire (2023), Transit (2018), and Phoenix (2014.) I can’t say the films have been ultimately very satisfying to me (except for maybe Phoenix) but they offer intrigue nevertheless. Mirrors No. 3 is no different. It’s a film which provokes a number of questions but allows its answers to peter out near the end without a significant splash.
At the start of the story, Laura, played by Paula Beer is in the German countryside looking forlorn and depressed. She doesn’t want to be there with her boyfriend Jakob who is about to meet a music producer. In the midst of her dissatisfaction, he decides to take her back to Berlin but the journey is cut short while still in the rural setting when he is killed in a car accident. Laura is found by a woman named Betty who has been mysteriously eyeing her as she passes by on the road. Betty takes it upon herself to look after Laura who is now not in a hurry to get back to Berlin where she studies piano at a university. Her attitude is noticeably different as she almost seems more relaxed now that Jakob is gone.
What follows is a period in which Laura resides with Betty who we find out from her husband Richard and son Max is “off her pills.” Curiously, they don’t seem to be living with Betty but are quite concerned about her condition and are puzzled by the presence of Laura. What Betty is going through becomes one of the many questions we toy with while viewing the film. What happened to her? Why does she accidently call Laura, “Yelena”? We’re just as confused about Laura. Why does she seem so calm and self-assured? Why isn’t she feeling any of the after effects of the accident? Why are these women so drawn to each other? Why do passersby stare at Laura while she’s helping Laura with painting and gardening? The narrative changes its focus between each of the characters muddling the perspective and details of the story.
The questions posed are definitely intriguing though. The unraveling of the story’s mysteries is steadily paced and one hopes for something dramatic to happen to help clear them up. It is not until much later in the film when we are given some of the answers, which end up being not particularly surprising. Clues as to what has been happening are being given along the way resulting in an ending that feels a bit emotionally and narratively flat.
There’s no question though that Petzold knows how to create the appropriate atmosphere for the story. Everything about the setting feels alive, from the blowing trees and wind to the sounds of birds in the distance. The front door of Betty’s home is always open, suggesting that she is inviting in the country’s aura and mysteries. The home, while rather run down, and its surroundings feel very inviting as if we are spending a few days basking in the softness of the setting.
The actors are all very good. Paula Beer has been in other Petzold films and is clearly in control of her character’s emotional state, as perplexing as it feels from the outside. Barbara Auer as Betty has a look and warmth to her that is reminiscent of Ingrid Bergman or Dianne Wiest. She’s quite an interesting to actor to observe suggesting layers to Betty that could require a few films to really understand.
In the end though, if it’s plot one is looking for, this one is fine if a bit of a letdown in terms of suspense and resolution.
Mirrors No. 3 opens in limited release this week.