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The Tunnel

The Tunnel

20017.12h 30m

Overview

Inspired by true events, Olympic swimmer Harry Melchior defects from East Germany in the 1960s and hatches a daring plot to help his sister and others flee East Berlin through a 145-yard underground tunnel.

Directed by Roland Suso Richter
Written by Johannes W. Betz
Produced by Nico Hofmann, Ariane Krampe
0

Top Cast

Heino Ferch

Heino Ferch

Harry Melchior

Nicolette Krebitz

Nicolette Krebitz

Friederike " Fritzi " Scholz

Sebastian Koch

Sebastian Koch

Matthis Hiller

Alexandra Maria Lara

Alexandra Maria Lara

Lotte Lohmann

Claudia Michelsen

Claudia Michelsen

Carola Hiller

Felix Eitner

Felix Eitner

Fred von Klausnitz

Mehmet Kurtuluş

Mehmet Kurtuluş

Vittorio Castanza

Heinrich Schmieder

Heinrich Schmieder

Theo Lohmann

Uwe Kockisch

Uwe Kockisch

Oberst Krüger

Karin Baal

Karin Baal

Marianne von Krausnitz

Themes & Keywords

berlin, germanyescapeberlin wallgerman democratic republicbordergerman-german borderescape agenteast berlinwest berlintunnel

About The Tunnel

The Tunnel is a drama, thriller film released in 2001 exploring themes of berlin, germany, escape, berlin wall, german democratic republic, border, german-german border. Directed by Roland Suso Richter, it stars Heino Ferch, Nicolette Krebitz, Sebastian Koch. Inspired by true events, Olympic swimmer Harry Melchior defects from East Germany in the 1960s and hatches a daring plot to help his sister and others flee East Berlin through a 145-yard underground tunnel.

Movies Similar to The Tunnel

Discover titles like The Tunnel — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to The Tunnel

If you enjoyed The Tunnel, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of The Tunnel.

The Lives of Others
35% Match

In 1984 East Berlin, dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler begins spying on a famous playwright and his actress-lover Christa-Maria. Wiesler becomes unexpectedly sympathetic to the couple, and faces conflicting loyalties when his superior takes a liking to Christa-Maria.

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Führer Ex(2002)

Movie6.2/10

Ingo Hasselbach, whose parents were Communist Party members in East Germany during his childhood, has lived at both ends of the political seesaw. The question of how people reach a change of heart is a profound one; Hasselbach describes the external forces that led to his founding Germany's first neo-Nazi political party and the internal ones that led him away from it five years later.

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29% Match

Balloon(2018)

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Two families attempt a daredevil plan to escape the GDR with a homemade hot air balloon, but it crashes just before the border. The Stasi finds traces of this attempt to escape and immediately starts investigations, while the two families are forced to build a new escape balloon. With each passing day the Stasi is closer on their heels – a nerve-wracking race against time begins.

23
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23(1998)

Movie6.8/10

The movie's plot is based on the true story of a group of young computer hackers from Hannover, Germany. In the late 1980s the orphaned Karl Koch invests his heritage in a flat and a home computer. At first he dials up to bulletin boards to discuss conspiracy theories inspired by his favorite novel, R.A. Wilson's "Illuminatus", but soon he and his friend David start breaking into government and military computers. Pepe, one of Karl's rather criminal acquaintances senses that there is money in computer cracking - he travels to east Berlin and tries to contact the KGB.

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Two Lives(2012)

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Europe 1990, the Berlin wall has just crumbled: Katrine, raised in East Germany, but now living in Norway for the last 20 years, is a “war child”; the result of a love relationship between a Norwegian woman and a German occupation soldier during World War II. She enjoys a happy family life with her mother, her husband, daughter and granddaughter. But when a lawyer asks her and her mother to witness in a trial against the Norwegian state on behalf of the war children, she resists. Gradually, a web of concealments and secrets is unveiled, until Katrine is finally stripped of everything, and her loved ones are forced to take a stand: What carries more weight, the life they have lived together, or the lie it is based on?

The Legend of Rita
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Radical West German terrorist Rita Vogt abandons the revolution and settles in East Germany with a new identity provided by the secret service. She lives in constant fear of having her cover blown, which unavoidably happens after the reunification.

The Aviary
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A twisted journey of two women’s desperate flee to escape the clutches of Skylight, an insidious cult. Lured in by the promise of “freedom” in the isolated desert campus called The Aviary, Jillian and Blair join forces to escape in hopes of real freedom. Consumed by fear and paranoia, they can’t shake the feeling that they are being followed by the cult’s leader, Seth, a man as seductive as he is controlling. The more distance the pair gains from the cult, the more Seth holds control of their minds. With supplies dwindling and their senses failing, Jillian and Blair are faced with a horrifying question: how do you run from an enemy who lives inside your head?

Joint Security Area
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Two North Korean soldiers are killed in the border area between North and South Korea, prompting an investigation by a neutral body. The sergeant is the shooter, but the lead investigator, a Swiss-Korean woman, receives differing accounts from the two sides.

Good Bye, Lenin!
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Alex Kerner's mother was in a coma while the Berlin wall fell. When she wakes up he must try to keep her from learning what happened (as she was an avid communist supporter) to avoid shocking her which could lead to another heart attack.

M
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M(1931)

Movie8.1/10

In this classic German thriller, Hans Beckert, a serial killer who preys on children, becomes the focus of a massive Berlin police manhunt. Beckert's heinous crimes are so repellant and disruptive to city life that he is even targeted by others in the seedy underworld network. With both cops and criminals in pursuit, the murderer soon realizes that people are on his trail, sending him into a tense, panicked attempt to escape justice.

Wings of Desire
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Two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, glide through the streets of Berlin, observing the bustling population, providing invisible rays of hope to the distressed but never interacting with them. When Damiel falls in love with lonely trapeze artist Marion, the angel longs to experience life in the physical world, and finds — with some words of wisdom from actor Peter Falk — that it might be possible for him to take human form.

Valkyrie
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Valkyrie(2008)

Movie7.0/10

Wounded in Africa during World War II, Nazi Col. Claus von Stauffenberg returns to his native Germany and joins the Resistance in a daring plan to create a shadow government and assassinate Adolf Hitler. When events unfold so that he becomes a central player, he finds himself tasked with both leading the coup and personally killing the Führer.

Phoenix
18% Match

Phoenix(2014)

Movie6.8/10

German-Jewish cabaret singer Nelly survived Auschwitz but had to undergo reconstructive surgery as her face was disfigured. Without recognizing Nelly, her former husband Johnny asks her to help him claim his wife’s inheritance. To see if he betrayed her, she agrees, becoming her own doppelganger.