Review: ‘Miroirs No. 3’
2025 / Dir. Christian Petzold
☆ 3.5/5
Watch if you like: Phoenix, Vertigo, mutual codependence between strangers following separate, largely unknown traumas.
German director Christian Petzold’s latest revisits many of his themes (doubles and death) from more profound works like the magnificent Phoenix while cutting back as much as possible in this brief, mysterious drama. Petzold’s regular Paula Beer is Laura, a woman disengaged and distressed by life for unclear reasons, who is found by Betty (Barbara Auer) after a car accident near Betty’s rural home. Laura seems unfazed by her boyfriend’s death in the accident and makes the strange decision to request to stay with Betty rather than go to the hospital. While there’s a tense feeling of impending distress, Miroirs No. 3 isn’t that kind of movie—it’s instead a quieter exploration of a shred of hope being dropped in front of a broken family. Petzold is perhaps a bit on autopilot here, which is why this isn’t up there with some of his best, but captivating performances and tight pacing make Miroirs No. 3 feel like a sweet dessert after the filling meal that is the rest of his filmography.