Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
A young prosecutor in postwar West Germany investigates a massive conspiracy to cover up the Nazi pasts of prominent public figures.
Labyrinth of Lies is a solid, earnest historical drama about the lead-up to the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials of the 1960s. The plot is competently constructed and morally engaging, though it follows a fairly conventional investigative-drama structure with a predictable arc. Acting is professional and committed, particularly from Alexander Fehling in the lead, but no performance is truly extraordinary. Cinematography is handsome and period-appropriate without being visually distinctive. Novelty is moderate — the subject matter (postwar German reckoning with Nazi crimes) is underexplored in mainstream cinema, giving it some distinction, but the narrative approach is fairly conventional for the genre. The ending delivers emotional closure without surprising or transcending the material. A respectable, above-average film across the board but not exceptional in any single dimension.