The Calendar Killer (2025)

The Calendar Killer (2025) is another good German film. What’s more, it’s the first film from 2025 that I’ve watched. What fun!

Klara (Luise Heyer) is going to die if she doesn’t kill her husband. The Calendar Killer presents her with this impossible choice. When Jules (Sabin Tambrea) starts his night at a telephone escort service for single women returning home, he receives Klara’s call. He is Klara’s last hope of survival, and a time trial begins to save her. Based on the best-selling German thriller by Sebastian Fitzek.

The lead actor, Sabin Tambrea, bears a striking resemblance to two British actors known from American films! One is Ralph Fiennes, who is also a director and producer, and the other is Benedict Cumberbatch, also a producer. Sabin is very good in his role, and his charisma has a lot to do with it.

This is one of those films that leads you down a lot of false trails. The suspense really builds up the tension. It’s not one of those films that easily startles you with its many ridiculous jump scares.

There’s no extremely unbearable violence, so it’s really a crime thriller rather than horrific gore. That said, the serial killer, just like in Saw, is convinced that he’s doing society some good with his macabre work. He’s not just doing it for sadistic pleasure… although that may sound totally contradictory.

The lead actress, Luise Heyer, isn’t in one of the most mesmerising roles, but she’s perfect for her character, who is wounded, at the end of her tether and very tired, especially morally.

It’s a very good story, which must be totally bluffing and exciting in book form too.

It’s not all perfect, but it’s close. There are two or three lines of dialogue that could have been better.

There are some mini-lengths, but nothing dramatic. There’s one role (that of the father on the phone) that could have done with a bit more development. I don’t know whether this is a fault of the film or the book.

The ending is really good. I had a really good time.