Miroirs No 3

Paula Beer stars as talented pianist Laura in Christian Petzold’s disquieting psychodrama Miroirs No 3, which takes its name from Ravel’s impressionistic piano suite. Although she’s a gifted musician studying in Berlin, she’s emotionally detached and unhappy in her relationship with fellow student Jackob (Philip Froissant). When Jackob is killed in a car crash later that day, a miraculously uninjured Laura is taken in by Betty (Barbara Auer), who witnesses the accident. As Laura becomes acquainted with Betty and her estranged family, she begins to suspect that something is wrong with this situation. However, this isn’t a Misery or Speak No Evil-style horror. Rather, Petzold presents a sombre examination of grief that bubbles underneath the idyllic countryside setting.

Both Beer and Auer are magnificent here, with their performances confidently carrying most of the feature. As the women lock eyes shortly before the fatal accident, it appears that the characters are instantly drawn to each other. It’s Laura who asks to stay with Betty, who subsequently leaps at the chance to be the maternal figure who cooks breakfast and leaves out fresh clothes for her. Laura is also much happier than before and is seemingly unfazed by Jackob’s death. She even shrugs off the instances when Betty calls her the wrong name and doesn’t question why the family own an out-of-tune piano that none of them can play. These accumulating questions, combined with everyone’s willingness to go along with this strange scenario, create an understated atmosphere of unease that draws viewers into the vulnerability of the characters.

Petzold draws out this familial drama at a measured and controlled pace. The filmmaker gives each scene ample room to breathe to allow audiences to fully immerse themselves within the fairytale-like world Laura and Betty have constructed for themselves. Given how deliberately restrained everything is, to the point where even the huge dramatic reveal is portrayed like any other interaction, the feature tends to drag in parts, leading its short 86-minute runtime to feel longer than it is.

Miroirs No 3 is a beautiful and effectively understated family drama that subverts viewer expectations. Petzold’s latest feature isn’t the psychological thriller its premise would suggest, nor is it a melodramatic drama. It’s something more nuanced, morally grey, and altogether fascinating.