is a 2024 historical drama thriller film about the German theologian and anti-Nazi dissident Dietrich Bonhoeffer, written, produced and directed by Todd Komarnicki.
It stars Jonas Dassler, August Diehl, David Jonsson, Flula Borg, Moritz Bleibtreu, and Clarke Peters.
In 2018, Komarnicki discussed shooting the film, then titled God's Spy, describing it as a "profound and pretty untold story of heroism from World War II.
[6] Principal photography took place in Ireland in locations such as counties Limerick,[7] Clare and Tipperary,[8] and St Fin Barre's Cathedral in Cork.
The website's consensus reads: "Bonhoeffer more or less gets the job done as a righteous thriller, but its glossy treatment of history flattens this remarkable true story into a formulaic matinee.
"[17] In a positive review, Joe Leydon of Variety wrote, "If it had been released just two years ago, Bonhoeffer might have come across as simply the latest in a long line of respectable but predictable period dramas about brave Germans who dared to stand up to the Nazi regime.
In addition to numerous historical inaccuracies and misleading marketing, the film was accused of promoting viewpoints of the Christian right, including conspiracy theories.
[24] The International Bonhoeffer Society released a statement in which several actors involved, including Jonas Dassler, August Diehl and David Jonsson, condemned the film's appropriation by Christian nationalists.
[26] The film portrays Bonhoeffer leading a jazz band in a Harlem nightclub and being physically assaulted in a racially charged incident.
While Bonhoeffer did attend the Abyssinian Baptist Church during his time in New York and was influenced by African American spirituals, there is no evidence that he performed in jazz clubs or experienced such confrontations.
The film depicts Dietrich Bonhoeffer as a central figure in the conspiracies to assassinate Hitler, including scenes of him actively planning and discussing bomb plots.