Jonathan **** (2016, Jannis Niewöhner, André Hennicke, Julia Koschitz, Thomas Sarbacher, Barbara Auer) – Classic Movie Review 13,852

Jannis Niewöhner stars a country boy who learns that his dying father (André Hennicke) was once deeply in love with a man, in Piotr J Lewandowski’s heart-tugger 2016 German drama film Jonathan.

Jannis Niewöhner stars as Jonathan, a fit, handsome young country man who learns that his dying father (André Hennicke) was once deeply in love with a man called Ron (Thomas Sarbacher), in co-writer/ director Piotr J Lewandowski’s heart-tugger 2016 German drama film Jonathan.

Jonathan goes through all the agony of watching a parent dying, while trying to come to terms with the lies his father told him. He has busied himself, devoted his life entirely, for the last three years in looking after the father. Then this man called Ron turns up. This is not a welcome development for poor Jonathan who looks and acts a lot stronger and tougher than he actually is. It also turns out that Jonathan’s mother did not die in a car crash when he was young, as the dad said. A tangled emotional web is woven then. Jonathan is now on a new level of hurt, anger and pain. Just when you think things have got really bad, suddenly they get worse. But can they get better again?

Delicately, sensitively done, with subtle and engaging acting, Jonathan is upsetting but not too grim or harrowing. It is quite the tearjerker, with not a dry eye in the house at the end, but that isn’t quite its point. We’re after solace and comfort, somehow, a moment of peace and rest. The film offers that. Maybe it is a shade too tasteful, but it is harsh and realistic enough. It is moving and even rather beautiful.

Barbara Auer plays the bitter, deeply religious sister Martha, who seems to hate everybody. Julia Koschitz plays the kindly angel of mercy Anka, the wise and attractive young nurse hired to help the father, but also attracted to Jonathan. But it’s all about the men. especially Jonathan of course, as the film is helpfully called after his character, but also the dad and his former lover. André Hennicke and Thomas Sarbacher are both excellent, but the film belongs properly to Jannis Niewöhner, who makes it his own.

It premiered at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival on 12 February 2016 and was released in Germany on 5 May 2016.

Runtime: 99 minutes.

Music by Lenny Mockridge.

© Derek Winnert 2026 – Classic Movie Review 13,852

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