DYING follows the very individual members of the Lunies family, who haven't been a family for a long time. Lissy (Corinna Harfouch) is quietly happy about her demented husband Gerd (Hans-Uwe Bauer) slowly wasting away in a home. But her new freedom is short-lived: Diabetes, cancer and kidney failure mean that she doesn't have much time left either. Son Tom (Lars Eidinger), a conductor in his early 40s, is working on a composition called 'Dying', while at the same time being made the surrogate father of his ex-girlfriend's child. And Tom's sister Ellen (Lilith Stangenberg) starts an affair with the married Sebastian (Ronald Zehrfeld), with whom she shares a love for alcohol. As Death finally turns up on the doorstep, the estranged family members finally meet again.
Critical Reception
Dying holds a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on nine critic reviews. Critics have lauded the film for its intricate portrayal of family dynamics and its balance of dark humour with emotional depth.
• Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian awarded the film 4 out of 5 stars, describing it as “a black comedy of Franzenesque family dysfunction; maybe not profound exactly but terrifically watchable and entertaining.”
• Amber Wilkinson from Eye for Film praised the film’s “glorious contradictions,” noting how it seamlessly weaves humor and tragedy within single conversations.
• Martin Kudlac of ScreenAnarchy highlighted director Matthias Glasner’s ability to “interspers[e] moments of sweetness and redemption in the most unexpected places.”
Awards and Nominations
Dying has been recognized with several prestigious awards and nominations:
• Berlin International Film Festival 2024:
• Silver Bear for Best Screenplay (Matthias Glasner)
• Prize of the Guild of German Arthouse Cinemas
• Berliner Morgenpost Readers’ Jury Award  
• German Film Awards (Lolas) 2024:
• Best Film
• Best Actress (Corinna Harfouch)
• Best Supporting Actor (Hans-Uwe Bauer)
• Best Film Music (Lorenz Dangel)
• Nominations for Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor (Lars Eidinger), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Gwisdek), and Best Editing
• European Film Awards 2024:
• Nomination for Best Actor (Lars Eidinger)
• Gijón International Film Festival 2024:
• Winner of Best Directing (Matthias Glasner) 
