Trunk: Locked In

"Trunk" throws you head over heals into this claustrophobic setting - somehow an irrational fear I never knew I had. I did not have any moment where I was thrown off by something unlogical or too stupid by the main character - and that says a lot for the usual German film already. Sina Martens carries a huge portion of this movie, and she portrays all these intense emotions and these seamless changes of moods brilliantly! I never doubted her fear, nor her will to survive for one second. Production design and photography-wise the crew managed to turn every inch and angle of this vehicle's trunk into a cinematic image. Light settings and visual language changes subtly and always motivated, but makes every minute seem like a different scene. I was stunned by the variety of visuals they managed to show. The overall story arch is full of surprises and intelligently written bits and pieces, I enjoyed, while rooting for Malinas survival.

All in all I find the movie to be a great example of what German filmmakers have to offer. What a thrilling ride! -literally. I am looking forward to more material from this caliber!

A small and exquisite thriller from Germany for those who want to elevate their heartbeat for 90 minutes without engaging in sports. A woman wakes up in a trunk and tries to figure out how she got there and - more importantly - how to get out. As simple as the premise may be the execution is sophisticated. What happens in terms of direction within these few square meters is more interesting than in most German cinema productions. It's evident that a lot of thought has gone into every movement of the actress and the camera to make the minimal setting maximally suspenseful. The film, of course, relies heavily on the lead actress who is continuously on screen, often in super close-ups, and is mentally and physically challenged. And Sina Martens delivers! She ensures that you are emotionally connected to Malina throughout, rooting for her. The plot works and provides some twists and turns (which one might foresee), but it is not the main argument for the film. Here it's all about the experience, the claustrophobia, the haptic (there are a few nasty moments). Overall, Trunk is an extremely lean and, due to its breathlessness, very entertaining thriller that makes the most out of its idea.

When I saw it I was exiting with the theme of the movie!

Then I start watching the movie and it did not disappoint me.... German film and what a thriller!!! Well done! Sure there things like, oh come on why why why did you do that but does it matter. It's just a movie!!! I would say a really good start for 2024!!!

The end is this that I wanted and that's what makes the film cool!!!

Then I start watching the movie and it did not disappoint me.... German film and what a thriller!!! Well done! Sure there things like, oh come on why why why did you do that but does it matter. It's just a movie!!! I would say a really good start for 2024!!!

This was the first film to check off Day 3 at Nightmares Film Festival. We got to see this for its United States premiere. Knowing that, I glanced to see that this is a German film. The bit of information that was provided during the introduction had me curious to see how they would use it to tell this story.

For this, we are following Malina (Sina Martens). She is inside of a trunk. It starts when the driver is stopped. I don't believe we get her captor's name, but he is creepy. Malina has her cellphone. She uses it to send messages to sister, father and her boyfriend, Enno (Artjom Gilz). She is also able to get through to the police and works with Elisa Kühne (Luise Helm). She has limited information, but Malina won't give up. It is a fight for survival that goes to places she never expected.

When they said that this takes place mostly in a trunk. This reminded me of The Call with Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin. Instead of seeing this from the side of the 911 operator, we solely with Malina. I need to pull in cinematography here as it is magic. They can capture that claustrophobic feel of being locked inside like she is, but also create enough room to see her do different things. It is one of those movies where one piece of information leads to the next. We know that Malina has a medical degree. She doesn't panic when she can't feel her legs and can also patch herself up as she has injuries.

Now it does feel a bit convenient that she has her cellphone. I would think that everyone would check for that first. I will give a bit of leeway here as it does seem like it was a rush to get her into the trunk before anyone sees. She is also supposed to be knocked out and it is a lucky thing that Malina woke up when she did. These were things that I thought about when watching this.

I'll also say that the rest of the filmmaking was good. There is CGI here, but I'm not sure how else you would do these things. The acting around Martens was good. She carries this and for good reason. Gilz, Helm, Charles Rettinghaus and Janina Sachau also deserve credit. I would bet that this was also made during pandemic with how small a cast we have, but that doesn't hinder this in the slightest. I rather enjoyed this and it is one of my favorites from the film festival. It raised my anxiety and the tension with how believable something like this happening. How she discovers and relays information was believable as well. Something I didn't bring up was the limited battery that she has and that is rapidly being used.

I'd recommend giving this a watch if you come across it. I will say that this was subtitled. There is a bit of English used, but it is mostly in German from what I remember.

My Rating: 8 out of 10.

I'm not going to say I was stuck on the edge of my seat in anyway during the movie... to be honest I watched to the end to find out why she was in the truck more than anything else... the were moments where I thought the action was coming but I'd say it was gripping in a why to find out how it would end and as I said trying to figure out why she was stuck in the trunk... the acting was good there are a few twists and turns but I would never give this film anywhere near a 10... I'm not going to call it a horror either so don't be to worried if you don't like horrors it's not in anyway scary so give it a go..