The Lives of Others (2006) • R

Rotten Tomatoes: 93%

IMDB: 8.4 / 10

East Germany, 1948. Captain Gerd Wiesler, a member of the secret police, is tasked with spying on a couple - a playwright and an actress - who are suspected of having pro-Communist views. However, not all is as it seems, and Wiesler becomes more and more disillusioned with his mission.

OUR TAKE: The Lives of Others deserves your undivided attention. A gripping, terrifying thriller that accurately portrays psychological warfare, long-term spying, tradecraft techniques, manipulation, and human fallibility that grows within both the spies and the spied upon.

Without saying too much, you’ll also be blown away by how the story develops.

REALISM RATING: 5/5

What’s the SPYSCAPE realism rating?

After discussing a film’s authenticity with professionals we give it a rating from 1 to 5 based on how accurately it represents real characters, scenarios, tools, and techniques from the world of intelligence.