SimilarScreen
Despair

Despair

A hysterical comedy

19786.51h 57m

Overview

Berlin, 1930, during the rise of Nazism. Hermann Hermann, a Russian emigrant and chocolate manufacturer, married to the capricious Lydia, loses his temper more and more every day when dealing with his workers and other businessmen; until he meets Felix, a vagrant, who seems to be physically identical to him; a disconcerting fact that leads Hermann Hermann to plot a particular way out of a fake world he actually hates.

Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Written by Vladimir Nabokov, Tom Stoppard
Produced by Peter Märthesheimer
Box OfficeBudget: $2.6M0

Top Cast

Dirk Bogarde

Dirk Bogarde

Hermann Hermann

Andréa Ferréol

Andréa Ferréol

Lydia Hermann

Klaus Löwitsch

Klaus Löwitsch

Felix Weber

Volker Spengler

Volker Spengler

Ardalion

Bernhard Wicki

Bernhard Wicki

Orlovius

Armin Meier

Armin Meier

Silverman / Sergeant Brown / Foreman

Peter Kern

Peter Kern

Müller

Adrian Hoven

Adrian Hoven

Inspector Schelling

A

Alexander Allerson

Mayer

Hark Bohm

Hark Bohm

Doctor

Themes & Keywords

berlin, germanyhusband wife relationshipbased on novel or bookbusinessmanchocolateidentityparanoiaidentity crisisattempt to escapepainterrepublic of weimaralienationantisemitismmental illnessmadnessassumed identitydoppelgängerinsurance policydoublevagrantnazismrussian emigremurder plot1930sperfect murderself imagefilm within a filmperformativedissociationjewish ancestryjewish wiferise of fascismrise of nazismvictimhood

About Despair

Despair is a drama, thriller film released in 1978 exploring themes of berlin, germany, husband wife relationship, based on novel or book, businessman, chocolate, identity. Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, it stars Dirk Bogarde, Andréa Ferréol, Klaus Löwitsch. Berlin, 1930, during the rise of Nazism. Hermann Hermann, a Russian emigrant and chocolate manufacturer, married to the capricious Lydia, loses his temper more and more every day when dealing with his workers and other businessmen; until he meets Felix, a vagrant, who seems to be physically identical to him; a disconcerting fact that leads Hermann Hermann to plot a particular way out of a fake world he actually hates.

Movies Similar to Despair

Discover titles like Despair — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to Despair

If you enjoyed Despair, 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 Despair.

Lost Highway
22% Match

A tormented jazz musician finds himself lost in an enigmatic story involving murder, surveillance, gangsters, doppelgängers, and an impossible transformation inside a prison cell.

Topaz
22% Match

Topaz(1969)

Movie6.0/10

Copenhagen, Denmark, 1962. When a high-ranking Soviet official decides to change sides, a French intelligence agent is caught up in a cold, silent and bloody spy war in which his own family will play a decisive role.

The Dutchman
20% Match

A successful black businessman, haunted by his crumbling marriage and identity crisis, is drawn into a psychological game of cat and mouse with a mysterious white woman he encounters on a New York subway.

Derailed
20% Match

Derailed(2005)

Movie6.4/10

When two married business executives having an affair are blackmailed by a violent criminal, they are forced to turn the tables on him to save their families.

Girl, Interrupted
19% Match

Set in the changing world of the late 1960s, Susanna Kaysen's prescribed "short rest" from a psychiatrist she had met only once becomes a strange, unknown journey into Alice's Wonderland, where she struggles with the thin line between normal and crazy. Susanna soon realizes how hard it is to get out once she has been committed, and she ultimately has to choose between the world of people who belong inside or the difficult world of reality outside.

Rosemary's Baby
19% Match

A young couple, Rosemary and Guy, moves into an infamous New York apartment building, known by frightening legends and mysterious events, with the purpose of starting a family.

Dream Lover
19% Match

Not long after they cross paths at an art gallery, architect Ray Reardon and hypnotically sensual Lena are married with children. But as strange incidents occur, Ray begins to realize he may not really know the woman he married.

Heatwave
19% Match

Heatwave(2022)

Movie6.3/10

A woman's life takes an unexpected turn when she falls for her boss's wife. She must soon defend herself as she becomes entangled in a web of malice.

The Name of the Rose
19% Match

14th-century Franciscan monk William of Baskerville and his young novice arrive at a conference to find that several monks have been murdered under mysterious circumstances. To solve the crimes, William must rise up against the Church's authority and fight the shadowy conspiracy of monastery monks using only his intelligence; which is considerable.

Valkyrie
18% Match

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.