The Disappearance of Josef Mengele

After the war, Josef Mengele slips into a shadowed life and evades capture by relying on a network of former SS members and wealthy supporters in South America. The film follows his methodical retreat from Europe into Argentina, with side trips into Paraguay and the Brazilian jungle as he assumes new identities and keeps a low profile. It focuses on the human costs of a long unsolved crime, the moral murk around those who helped him, and the families left to carry the burden of collective memory. August Diehl plays Mengele with a chilling restraint, while the narrative weighs memory, guilt, and the uneasy ache of justice delayed. It also probes the moral costs.

Directed by Kirill Serebrennikov with Olivier Guez as co creator, the drama blends historical research with a stark focus. August Diehl leads the cast with Friederike Becht, Dana Herfurth, David Ruland and Carlos Kaspar, for a steady tense portrait.

Initial reactions note a restrained, character driven approach that avoids sensationalism while confronting a brutal chapter of history. The film turns on questions of responsibility and memory, showing how a society contends with the aftermath of atrocity and the stubborn persistence of unresolved pasts.