Miroirs No. 3

Play trailer

2:06

Miroirs No. 3

Now Playing

1h 26m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

82 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

During a weekend trip to the countryside, Laura, a young piano student from Berlin, miraculously survives a shocking car crash. Awakening in a nearby house, Laura finds herself in the care of a local woman, who tends to her with motherly devotion. As she recuperates, Laura begins to integrate herself into the lives of the woman and her initially reluctant husband and son. By turns haunted and hopeful, Laura and her adopted family reawaken to the world and come to find a strange harmony together. However, they cannot outrun the ghosts of the past, which begin to stir, as acclaimed director Christian Petzold (PHOENIX, TRANSIT) spins a modern gothic fairytale about the lies we tell ourselves and the strange ways that grief, connection, and humanity bind and sustain us.

Critics Consensus

A hushed, enigmatic psychodrama, Miroirs No. 3 simmers with mystery and mood as Paula Beer's transfixing performance anchors its exploration of fractured identity.

Read Critics Reviews

Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

15h

It's the opposite of what Petzold does... He gives us no shocks, no horror. Just the lives of these people.

Go to Full Review

Ty Burr

Ty Burr's Watch List (Substack)

Apr 24

3/4

A little too quiescent for my tastes, but Beer and Auer hold the screen like quicksilver and granite respectively.

Go to Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Apr 21

4/5

It is highly diverting, elegantly contrived study of an unhappy family group and the cuckoo in its nest.

Go to Full Review

Craig D. Lindsey

Nashville Scene

Apr 30

I can see this film being a favorite for both cineastes and moviegoers looking for a good cry. It reminds me of those tearjerking, family-drama features Hollywood used to make before clogging multiplexes with the latest hot IP.

Go to Full Review

Diane Carson

AWFJ.org

Apr 26

A-

A tragedy lies at the heart of "Miroirs No. 3." Surviving a crash, Laura accepts the support of Betty, who struggles to reclaim her own emotional health. Thus begins a psychological drama of initially mystifying bonds and haunted memories.

Go to Full Review

Tom Dawson

Radio Times

Apr 23

4/5

Drawing on elements of fairy tales and doppelganger stories, alongside visual markers of rural Americana, Mirrors No. 3 combines a dreamlike sensibility with carefully understated performances.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Mary V

@MaryfromNJ Apr 4

While it contained great acting and unsettling emotions, I was disappointed the story didn’t develop further. Trailer made it seem there were mysterious twists and turns when there aren’t any. It needed more plot.

See more

danelectro T

@danelectro Mar 31

Many people describe this film as about secrets. I disagree. While there are secrets, this film is more fundamentally in my view about projections, the way we see things or people that reflect our inner needs. We do this all the time with people we love - turning them into lovable creatures because we need to be loved. We also make bad choices in partners that way. But sometimes, which is closer to this film's intent, we are playing roles others want us to play without even knowing. I detected three types of projection, which may be a coincidence, but a projection is like a mirror, so Mirrors #3. It is also the third of five Mirrors that Ravel wrote, which you'll hear in the film. When we begin to realize either our projections or the roles we are playing for others, will the projection change, even die? Will we continue to accept those roles; many of us probably do. Will the film's protagonist? You'll have to find out. Really great acting and story. An original art film. Go see it.

See more

Ross S

@Wonder-Boys Mar 26

Another masterful Petzold film with a compellingly mysterious storyline. Haunting and moving, with understated yet stirring performances from Paula Beer and Barbara Auer. I found the ending abrupt yet somehow satisfying.

See more

Benjamin M

@bmin1 Mar 22

This is a boring movie that lacks a third act. The director threw a few tropes about grief on the screen and then walked away. His actors gave him wonderful performances that are entirely wasted on a pointless film.

See more

Stephen C

@bob25009 Mar 20

The worldwide gross is $1,000,000.00.

See more

Runa R

@runa.r Jan 8

It is a simple and beautiful story, a settled film with unsettled stories beneath the surface.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Christian Petzold

Director

Paula Beer

Laura

Barbara Auer

Betty

Matthias Brandt

Richard

Enno Trebs

Max

Christian Petzold

Screenwriter

Miroirs No. 3: Trailer 1

2:06

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

During a weekend trip to the countryside, Laura, a young piano student from Berlin, miraculously survives a shocking car crash. Awakening in a nearby house, Laura finds herself in the care of a local woman, who tends to her with motherly devotion. As she recuperates, Laura begins to integrate herself into the lives of the woman and her initially reluctant husband and son. By turns haunted and hopeful, Laura and her adopted family reawaken to the world and come to find a strange harmony together. However, they cannot outrun the ghosts of the past, which begin to stir, as acclaimed director Christian Petzold (PHOENIX, TRANSIT) spins a modern gothic fairytale about the lies we tell ourselves and the strange ways that grief, connection, and humanity bind and sustain us.

Director: Christian Petzold
Producer: Florian Koerner von Gustorf, Michael Weber, Anton Kaiser
Screenwriter: Christian Petzold
Distributor: 1-2 Special
Production Co: Arte, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF), Schramm Film Koerner & Weber
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: German
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 20, 2026, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $209.0K
Runtime: 1h 26m