When a mysterious, indestructible brick wall seals them inside, a couple and their neighbors must unravel its secrets and survive. The new German sci-fi thriller from Netflix stars Matthias Schweighöfer and Ruby O. Fee, directed by Philip Koch.
🎬 Overview
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Director & Writer: Philip Koch
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Release Date: July 10, 2025 on Netflix Tom’s Guide+14Movie Insider+14Decider+14Movie Insider+15Wikipedia+15Rotten Tomatoes+15
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Runtime: Approximately 1 h 39 m Rotten Tomatoes+2IMDb+2Metacritic+2
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Language: Primarily German (with dubbed/subtitle options) What to Watch
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Genre: Mystery · Sci‑Fi · Thriller YouTube+13IMDb+13Movie Insider+13
🧩 Premise & Plot
Tim (Matthias Schweighöfer) and Olivia (Ruby O. Fee), a couple navigating emotional strain, wake to discover a massive, indestructible brick wall surrounding their entire apartment building overnight. Trapped with wary neighbors, they must unravel the sinister puzzle — who built the wall, why, and how to escape? Tom’s Guide+15High On Films+15FilmBook+15
As tensions escalate, secrets and paranoia intensify. They uncover eerie nanotech origins linked to a programmer’s failed experiment, leading to unexpected betrayals and a chilling twist — after their escape, the whole city is sealed off. Decider
🌟 Cast & Characters
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Tim – Matthias Schweighöfer
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Olivia – Ruby O. Fee
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Supporting ensemble includes Frederick Lau, Murathan Muslu, Sira‑Anna Faal, Alexander Beyer, Joséf Berousek, Salber Lee Williams, Axel Werner Paste Magazine+15IMDb+15FandomWire+15
Schweighöfer and Fee, who previously acted together, bring compelling emotional resonance. Critics highlight their chemistry as one of the film’s strengths Decider+1Paste Magazine+1.
🎥 Themes & Style
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Claustrophobic “escape‑room” atmosphere: Reminiscent of films like Cube or 10 Cloverfield Lane, amplifying tension in enclosed spaces .
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Emotional isolation: Critics note the wall’s role as metaphor for grief and relational barriers Sortir à Paris+2Gazettely+2Tom’s Guide+2.
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Surveillance, trust & grief: The narrative delves into internal emotional walls over the physical ones, emphasizing human psychology under pressure High On Films.
🔍 Critical Reception
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Splits opinions:
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Rotten Tomatoes critic rating: ~29%; viewers mostly negative
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ScreenDaily supports it as a cleaned-up, “entertaining what’s‑going‑on thriller” Sportskeeda+2Screen Daily+2What’s on Netflix+2
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Praise:
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Strong leads and well-executed visual tension IMDb+13Decider+13Rotten Tomatoes+13
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Thought-provoking emotional themes Wikipedia+9Gazettely+9IMDb+9
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Criticism:
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Predictable plot, slow pacing, and thinly drawn characters en.wikipedia.org+1IMDb+1
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Dubbed version suffers from poor audio quality Paste Magazine
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🎯 Final Verdict
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For you if you enjoy: Slow‑burn, single-location thrillers with heavy psychological undertones.
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Maybe skip if you prefer: Fast-paced, puzzle-packed plots or deeply developed characters.
ScreenDaily summed it up as a “satisfying audience‑pleaser” in its genre Screen Daily, while others suggest it didn’t fully deliver on its premise .
📰 Ending Explained
According to Decider, the brick wall is caused by malfunctioning nanotech, not external malice. Survivors Tim and Olivia escape, but face a sealed city—highlighting global consequences. The ending blends despair with a hint of hope clickthecity.com+5Decider+5Gazettely+5.
🧠 In Summary
Brick is a visually compelling, emotionally driven claustrophobic thriller anchored by a solid cast. It explores themes of trauma, trust, and isolation within a high-concept setup. Though reviews vary, it’s worth watching if the premise intrigues you — skip the dubbed version for optimal experience.