Name: Der Briefbomber
Genre: Thriller
Released: 2001-03-30
Duration: 1 h 38 min
Rating: 7.5
Cast: Sylvester Groth, Bibiana Beglau, Harald Krassnitzer

In the 90s, Austria was rocked by a four-year long series of letter bombs. Several intellectuals, left-leaning persons or prominent immigrants received letter bombs, some were killed or maimed, among them the former mayor of Vienna. Apparently the sender was a neo-nazi.

The story is told from the view-point of a police psychologist, who tries to track the letter bomber by getting a psychological profile of him. Actually, the letter bomber was not caught because of the profiler's work, but the profiler had delivered a surprisingly good description.

The movie is made a bit in "Columbo" style: the criminal is known from the beginning, and the watcher sees the noose tighten slowly. On the other hand there is more than a detective story behind it. There is an invisible criminal, who will strike again and again, and the big issue is "how can we figure out what he will do next, and how can we outsmart him?"

Some details in the movie are fictitious, but any Austrian should remember the letter bomber Franz Fuchs and how he was caught.

German cinema is famous for its historical depth, expressionist aesthetics, and social-political engagement. It has moved from Expressionism to political reckoning, from New German Cinema's raw realism to contemporary genre experiments. Its legacy lies in both technical innovation and deep explorations of history, morality, and philosophy.

The thriller genre features suspense, tension, and excitement. These stories are known for keeping audiences on the edge of their seats and delivering intense emotional experiences by revolving around high-stakes situations, dangerous conflicts, and the constant anticipation of unexpected events.

A letter bomb injured the mayor of Vienna in 1993. For the government, the case is closed with two arrests in the Nazi milieu. Not so for Police Psychologist Frank Meyer, who believes it is a lone perpetrator. More attacks follow.

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Bibiana Beglau, Sylvester Groth, and Harald Krassnitzer in Der Briefbomber (2001)

Bibiana Beglau, Karl Fischer, and Sylvester Groth in Der Briefbomber (2001)

Der Briefbomber

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