The Tunnel
Seen it?2001 | 150 min | Drama, Thriller
Sunday Safe Betearly ratingWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (84% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved The Bourne Supremacy, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense.
- The pace
- Unhurried and epic, at 2 hr 30 min.
- What might put you off
- It's long: 2 hr 30 min.
- It's in German, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Inspired by true events, Olympic swimmer Harry Melchior defects from East Germany in the 1960s and hatches a daring plot to help his sister and others flee East Berlin through a 145-yard underground tunnel.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
84% on Rotten Tomatoes, 72 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.2 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 13K people sought it out in the past year
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Cast & crew
Directed by Roland Suso Richter
- Heino FerchHarry Melchior
- Nicolette KrebitzFriederike " Fritzi " Scholz
- Sebastian KochMatthis Hiller
- Alexandra Maria LaraLotte Lohmann
- Claudia MichelsenCarola Hiller
- Felix EitnerFred von Klausnitz
- Mehmet KurtuluşVittorio Castanza
- Heinrich SchmiederTheo Lohmann
- Uwe KockischOberst Krüger
- Karin BaalMarianne von Krausnitz