20016.4 / 101h 51mComedyFamily

Emil and the Detectives

The twelve-year-old Emil and his father are haunted by bad luck. To take a break from a series of family disasters, Emil is allowed to spend a few days with a friend of the family, the female priest Hummel in Berlin. In the train he runs across the slick Max Grundeis who anaesthetizes Emil and steals his savings of 1500 DM. When he finally arrives in Berlin, Emil and a gang of street kids, led by the cheeky girl Pony Hütchen, try to find the gangster, who haunts the posh Hotel Adlon as a hotel thief. Meanwhile, to prevent anyone from finding out about Emil's mishap, Gypsi, a member of the gang of kids, passes himself off as Emil, thus wreaking havoc on the home of the priest.

Quick Stats
6.4
TMDB Rating
40
Votes
1h 51m
Runtime
Budget
Box Office
Return
Key Crew
DirectorFranziska Buch
WriterErich Kästner
CinematographyHannes Hubach
ComposerBiber Gullatz
EditorPatricia Rommel
Produced by
ZDFBavaria Filmverleih- und Produktions GmbHLunaris FilmOdeon Film AG

Where to Watch

Free
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Critics & Reviews

3 featured
Celeste Marlowe
@celeste_writes
8/10

A patient, formally daring work — the cinematography lingers on empty rooms longer than most audiences will tolerate, but those who stay are rewarded with the most haunting final act of the year.

Written Nov 12, 2024 · read original
Jonas Halberg
@jhalberg
9/10

I walked in expecting another genre exercise and walked out feeling like I'd been eavesdropping on a confession. The lead performance is genuinely singular — a career-defining turn.

Written Nov 8, 2024 · read original
Priya Anand
@priya_a
6/10

A few too many scenes feel borrowed from a better film, but the soundtrack and the production design carry the rest. Solid recommendation for fans of slow-burn European thrillers.

Written Oct 30, 2024 · read original

Cast

Tobias Retzlaff
Tobias Retzlaff
Emil Tischbein
A
Anja Sommavilla
Pony Hütchen
Jürgen Vogel
Jürgen Vogel
Max Grundeis
Maria Schrader
Maria Schrader
Pastorin Hummel
Kai Wiesinger
Kai Wiesinger
Knut Tischbein
Max Befort
Max Befort
Gypsi
M
Maurice Kumar
Kebab
Sergej Moya
Sergej Moya
Flügel
D
David Klock
Gustav Hummel
T
Tobias Unkauf
Dienstag
Thando Walbaum
Thando Walbaum
Hassouna
Rudolf Kowalski
Rudolf Kowalski
Lehrer Hummel
Martin Feifel
Martin Feifel
Paschke
Rufus Beck
Rufus Beck
Hotelportier
Oscar Ortega Sánchez
Oscar Ortega Sánchez
Boban

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