Writer-director Christian Petzold has seemingly found his muse over the last few years with actress Paula Beer. In the last 10 years, Petzold has worked with Beer on the 2018 WWII romanceTransit, his take on a mermaid story with 2020’s Undine, and with 2023’s Afire. No matter what story they’re telling, Beer and Petzold find a powerful core at the center, a moving narrative that is full of mystery and empathy. With their fourth collaboration, Miroirs No. 3, Petzold and Beer tell one of their quietest stories together to date, a film that boils down what they’ve accomplished in their previous collaborations to its rawest form and finds the result to be utterly successful. In this simple story of compassion, grief, and loss, Petzold and Beer prove that whenever they work together, it’s always worth your time.
‘Miroirs No. 3’ Finds Hope After a Deadly Accident
Laura (Beer) and her boyfriend Jakob (Philip Froissant) leave their home in the city to meet up with Jakob’s friends for a weekend away. Along the way, Jakob drives wildly, almost crashing, and Laura meets the eyes of a woman she’ll come to know as Betty (Barbara Auer). When they get to their destination, Laura is distant and tells Jakob that she doesn’t feel good and wants to go home. Jakob, who complains about how important this weekend is for him, drives swiftly to get Laura to the train station so he can return. On the way back, Laura makes eye contact with this woman once more, and moments later, Jakob flips the car, killing himself in the process, and throwing Laura from the car.
Betty takes Laura to her nearby home, and when the police and ambulance come to check on Laura, they find she’s more shaken than hurt, but suggest she needs some time to recover. Instead of going to the hospital, Laura suggests that she stay at Betty’s home, which surprises Betty at first, but she comes around to the idea rather quickly. As Laura recovers, Betty takes care of her, allowing her to sleep as much as she wants, offering her clothes to wear, and even waking her up with two Thermos — one with coffee, one with tea, depending on what she prefers.
With Miroirs No. 3, Petzold takes his time with the story of these two women. He’s in no hurry to explain why Laura would want to stay with a complete stranger, and it’s just as curious why Betty would open her home to this woman and take extra special care of her in this way. As Miroirs No. 3 progresses, we see that Laura isn’t too concerned with losing Jakob in her life, and she doesn’t seem in any rush to get back to the city. While it seemed like Betty is alone, we find out that something in her past has detached her relationship with her husband Richard (Matthius Brandt) and son Max (Enno Trebs), who both work as mechanics nearby. Whatever their reasons for living together, Laura and Betty both seem to need each other at this point in their lives.
Director Christian Petzold Takes His Time With This Story of Loss and Mourning
We watch as Laura and Betty get to know each other and find comfort in their cohabitation, and even though the pair are mostly doing everyday tasks, like cooking dinner or painting a fence together, Petzold manages to make this captivating. With this tale, Petzold has made these characters intrinsically interesting, as we wonder what they’re both running from and getting slight details here and there through their actions. As Richard and Max start to integrate themselves back into the home with Betty, this story remains compelling, picking up on even more hints as to what has separated this family, why they’re wary of Laura’s presence in their home, and what it means for all of them.
Even though no one could say that Petzold’s films are known for being action-packed, Miroirs No. 3 feels reserved, even for him. Beyond the inciting incident of the car accident, this is really focused on the emotions and dynamics between this family — and no need for more than that. His films have always had a certain amount of intrigue and compassion towards their characters, and his latest boils this down to the essentials without frills in a way that is just as impactful as his more high-concept ideas.
Paula Beer and Barbara Auer Are the Heart of ‘Miroirs No. 3’
Of course, a key element of what makes Miroirs No. 3 this effective is that Petzold is working with two of his best stars in Beer and Auer. Beer arguably has the more difficult task here, as she’s closed off and often quiet, never revealing too much about where she came from or who she is. Mostly, all we know is that after the death of Jakob, she’s seemingly more content with her new situation, and that’s all she needs. She’s a character that we desperately want to know more about, and even though Beer plays Laura close to the chest, it’s still fascinating to try to get a peek into what is going on with her.
While this is the fourth collaboration between Petzold and Beer in a row, Auer has worked with Petzold for even longer, since 2000’s The State I Am In, making this her fourth film with the director as well. From the very first moment Laura glimpses Betty, we can see the pain in Betty’s eyes, a tragedy that makes her welcoming of this gift that’s literally crashed at her door. Betty is so gracious and caring, and the level of compassion for a complete stranger is exactly what makes Richard and Max so worried about this new bond. We know there’s a loss in Betty’s past that she’s struggling with, and even though we know finding comfort in replacing that pain with compassion in this friendship might not be the healthiest thing for her, Auer’s performance makes us empathize with Betty and want the best for her.
Ultimately, with Miroirs No. 3, Petzold crafts a story about finding someone who can see inside you and what you need without ever saying a word, and the comfort that such bonds can give us — even if it’s just aiding in helping us run from our past. In doing so, Petzold has made a film that compacts what makes his films so great into its purest form, as we watch the dynamic between these two women who need each other right now. Petzold’s film might not be the flashiest film, and yet, Miroirs No. 3 is enthralling from beginning to end, a smart, often heartbreaking story that thrives in its simplicity.
Miroirs No. 3 screened at the Virginia Film Festival.
- Release Date
-
August 27, 2025
- Runtime
-
86 minutes
- Director
-
Christian Petzold
- Writers
-
Christian Petzold
- Producers
-
Caroline von Senden, Julius Windhorst, Claudia Tronnier
- Christian Petzold takes its time with telling this beautiful story of loss and compassion.
- Paula Beer and Barbara Auer make for an intriguing duo at the center of this story.
- Petzold’s story could’ve been slow, but it remains captivating throughout.
- The ending might be a bit too open-ended for its own good.
