Tattoo

2002, Horror/Mystery & thriller, 1h 42m

25 Reviews 1,000+ Ratings

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Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

Awesome!

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

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Tattoo Photos

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Movie Info

A brash rookie cop with a love for drugs and clubbing, Marc (August Diehl), and a cynical seen-it-all veteran detective, Minks (Christian Redl), match wits to hunt down a serial killer who is skinning his victims for their intricately-designed Japanese tattoos. The two cops descend into an underworld of tattoo fetishists and sex clubs looking for their perp. But Minks goes into panic mode when his daughter (Jasmin Schwiers) goes missing and is possibly involved with the investigation.

Rating:

R (Violent Content|Sexuality|Grisly Images|Nudity|Language|Some Drug Material)
Genre:

horror, mystery & thriller
Original Language:

German
Director:

Robert Schwentke
Producer:

Roman Kuhn, Jan Hinter
Writer:

Robert Schwentke
Runtime:

1h 42m
Production Co:

Columbia
Sound Mix:

Surround

Cast & Crew

August Diehl
Marc Schrader

Christian Redl
Minks

Nadeshda Brennicke
Maya Kroner

Ilknur Bahadir
Meltem

Jasmin Schwiers
Marie Minks

Johan Leysen
Frank Schoubya

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Tattoo

All Critics (25) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (17) | Rotten (8)

Quote not available.

April 1, 2006 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Empire Magazine
Stylish and engaging despite its over-reliance on the conventions of the thriller genre.

June 4, 2004 | Full Review…

Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post
Without the benefit of an equally manipulative script, Schwentke's attempts to appal us eventually just bore.

November 25, 2003 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Jamie Russell
BBC.com
The premise of this film might be halfway original, but the execution is wholly derivative.

August 15, 2003 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

Janice Page
Boston Globe
An engrossing and original police procedural of bleak, steel-gray images and high style.

July 11, 2003 | Rating: 4/5

Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
For all its oversights, absurdities and unconnected dots, Tattoo succeeds in getting under your skin.

July 8, 2003 | Rating: 3/5

Stephen Holden
New York Times
It's all as pointless as body modification.

July 30, 2008 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
Quote not available.

February 4, 2004 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

Tenley Woodman
Boston Herald
Dark and interesting, the film looks very good and has an intriguing enough plot that we stay connected to it.

December 5, 2003 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Quote not available.

December 5, 2003 | Rating: 8/10 | Full Review…

Anton Bitel
Movie Gazette
It looks great, has an excellent cast and is effectively creepy at first. But try as it does, it just winds up falling into the lame generic Hollywood homicide thriller mold.

July 16, 2003 | Rating: 2.5/5

Eric Campos
Film Threat
A stylish, involving, unremittingly grim and, it must be stated, almost wholly derivative hodge-podge of hard-boiled American crime thrillers. The surfeit mood catches and holds your attention, sometimes in spite of yourself.

July 14, 2003 | Rating: B- | Full Review…

Brent Simon
Entertainment Today

Quote not available.

April 1, 2006 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Empire Magazine
Stylish and engaging despite its over-reliance on the conventions of the thriller genre.

June 4, 2004 | Full Review…

Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post
Without the benefit of an equally manipulative script, Schwentke's attempts to appal us eventually just bore.

November 25, 2003 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Jamie Russell
BBC.com
The premise of this film might be halfway original, but the execution is wholly derivative.

August 15, 2003 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

Janice Page
Boston Globe
It's all as pointless as body modification.

July 30, 2008 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
Quote not available.

February 4, 2004 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

Tenley Woodman
Boston Herald
Dark and interesting, the film looks very good and has an intriguing enough plot that we stay connected to it.

December 5, 2003 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Quote not available.

December 5, 2003 | Rating: 8/10 | Full Review…

Anton Bitel
Movie Gazette
It looks great, has an excellent cast and is effectively creepy at first. But try as it does, it just winds up falling into the lame generic Hollywood homicide thriller mold.

July 16, 2003 | Rating: 2.5/5

Eric Campos
Film Threat
A stylish, involving, unremittingly grim and, it must be stated, almost wholly derivative hodge-podge of hard-boiled American crime thrillers. The surfeit mood catches and holds your attention, sometimes in spite of yourself.

July 14, 2003 | Rating: B- | Full Review…

Brent Simon
Entertainment Today
Tattoo has the same buddy-cop dynamic as the David Fincher film and, likewise, is preoccupied with beautiful lighting, rain machines and grotesque mutilations. It's watchable but it never quite rises above being a mannered knockoff.

July 11, 2003 | Rating: 2.5/4

Glenn Whipp
Los Angeles Daily News
A nasty, intelligent and complex thriller.

July 9, 2003 | Full Review…

John Patterson
L.A. Weekly

View All Critic Reviews (25)

Audience Reviews for Tattoo

Feb 28, 2007

Really good film, be warned it is sub-titles but the story is great.

Lady D Super Reviewer
Nov 26, 2006

German thriller about a serial killer collecting the skins of his tattooed victims. Pretty bloody and gloomy and trying a little too hard to be the german "Se7en", while not always being completely logical. But rather well done and pretty exciting nonetheless.

Jens S Super Reviewer