The twist ending that softens the blow of this otherwise unique and atmospheric work is not for me to ruin, but it should be said that it shows a chink in the filmmaker's armor
Comment
02/25/09
Yella (2008)
79 %
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted: 48
Fresh: 38
Rotten:10
Average Rating: 6.5/10
Consensus: Chilly and haunting, Yella's atmosphere gets under the skin.
Theatrical Release:2008
Synopsis: Narrowly escaping her volatile ex-husband, Yella (Nina Hoss) flees her small hometown in former East Germany for a new life in the West. She finds a promising job with Philipp (Devid Striesow), a... [More]
Starring: Nina Hoss, Devid Striesow, Hinnerk Schönemann, Burghart Klaussner
Director: Christian Petzold
Get This Movie
Reviews for Yella
A strange blend of corporate thriller and supernatural mystery.
12/01/08
While too lean and unassuming to provide real chills, Yella is a cool, disorienting trip, a meditation on death and the complexity of the human brain.
09/19/08
This unusual film has all the appearance of simply being a well-done drama, but there is considerably more on writer-director Christian Petzold's mind.
09/19/08
Top Critic[A] tightly controlled metaphysical horror movie.
09/18/08
Yella clamps down on the viewer with a psychological hold that doesn't immediately reveal itself.
09/18/08
This crisply made thriller begins as a harrowing tale of a young German woman stalked by her deranged ex-husband, but quickly turns into an investigation of the murkier depths of capitalism.
09/05/08
Top CriticStrikes a perfect balance between corporate intrigue and metaphysical mystery; his 2007 drama is filled with suspense but ends in delicious ambiguity.
08/01/08
Top CriticYella is a reserved young woman with unrevealed depths of intelligence, larceny and passion. Their gradual revelation makes this more than an ordinary thriller, in great part because of the performance of Nina Hoss in the title role.
08/01/08
Top CriticThe German offering Yella begins with an utterly gripping first 15 minutes, follows with a passable drama and ends with a big disappointment.
07/31/08
Top CriticAn import non-thriller so enigmatic and subtle that it's inert.
07/11/08
This German rip-off of Herk Harvey's 1962 Carnival of Souls replaces the junky eeriness of the original with a disassociated pretentiousness that is more irritating than creepy.
07/11/08
The film feels far too schematic and, even allowing for its unrelentingly mercenary premise, far too cold to inspire much viewer identification.
05/20/08
Filmmaker Christian Petzold meets his goal of providing an alienating portrait of the business world.
05/16/08
Makes for interesting viewing.
05/16/08
Top CriticChristian Petzold's disquieting German thriller feels modest while you're watching it, but makes a stronger-than-expected impact.
05/16/08
Top CriticGerman writer-director Christian Petzold transforms the classic American cult movie Carnival of Souls into a bleak drama about soul-sucking alienation in the reunited Germany.
05/16/08
Its scenes involving the perilous business negotiations offer more genuine intellectual excitement than any CGI-stuffed chase.
05/16/08
Yella is the kind of movie that tantalizes the mind with possibilities without solving the puzzle.
05/16/08
Top CriticDressing up a socio-economic critique as a romantic thriller only works if there's enough suspense to keep the audience intrigued.
05/15/08
Latest News for Yella
May 03, 2009:
A German metaphorical Reunification thriller and political allegory equating a blunt and feverish appetite for sex and capitalism. 
More...
March 27, 2009:
A German metaphorical Reunification thriller and political allegory equating a blunt and feverish appetite for sex and capitalism.
More...
Related Forums for Yella
RT On Current TV
What’s Hot On RT
Fresh Links
Featured
Appreciating Michael Jackson
TIME music critic Josh Tyrangiel remembers - and appreciates - the high peak of Michael Jackson's career in the early '80s.
10 Best Picture Noms?
With the Best Picture Oscar noms now 10 deep, BuzzSugar looks at 10 films that should have made the cut.
Successful Sci-Fi Sequels
Sequels never used to be as good as the original, but now they can be even better. Can Transformers 2 follow suit?
Films That Time Forgot
The AV Club's Zack Handlen explores why Snowbeast has been dismissed and forgotten.
IGN RSS Feeds