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Balloon
Ballon
2018 125 min France, Germany PG-13 12+
★7.1
Thriller, Drama, History
Director: Michael Herbig
Trailers
Description
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.
US Gross:
$34,222
Worldwide:
$11.86M
Starring
Friedrich Mücke
Actor
Karoline Schuch
Actor
David Kross
Actor
Awards
3 wins & 3 nominations total
Key opinion
Ballon is a taut, historical thriller that successfully maintains high tension by focusing intently on the technical and logistical challenges of a daring escape from East Germany. While praised for its effective escalation and atmosphere, some viewers feel the narrow focus on the escape mechanism results in underdeveloped characters and a sluggish middle act.
| Pacing | The film succeeds as a high-stakes thriller, maintaining relentless narrative tension throughout the escape preparations. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative structure feels urgent and lean by prioritizing the immediate physical challenges of the escape over lengthy introductory setups. | |
| Acting | The antagonist is effectively grounded, avoiding caricatured villainy in favor of a more nuanced, human portrayal. | |
| Theme | The film's singular focus on the technical execution of the escape leaves the internal emotional lives and character development of the families underdeveloped. | |
| Pacing | Opinions on the middle act are divided; while some appreciate the focus on preparation, others find that the pacing drags significantly during this phase. |