Common Sense Media Review
By Christie Cronan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Peril, violence in faith- and fact-based WWII drama.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Escape from Germany
What's the Story?
Set in August 1939, ESCAPE FROM GERMANY tells the true story of the little-known events surrounding the escape of 79 American Mormon missionaries from Nazi Germany just before the onset of World War II. Based on the diaries of these missionaries, this faith-based drama describes their harrowing journey, the power of faith, and the impact of impending war.
Is It Any Good?
It's rare to come across a historical, fact-based war drama that's appropriate for kids; this earnest drama pulls that off. While Escape from Germany could easily be labeled as propaganda for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with its heavy-handed faith-based dialogue and missionary characters, it's also a WWII film without brutal war violence. This allows it to offer insights on complex topics such as the situation in 1939 Nazi Germany, impending war, religious persecution, and treatment of Jewish families during that time period in a kid-friendly but not over-dramatic way.
That said, this low-budget drama also has some dry scenes, stiff acting, confusing undertones, and a muddled explanation of the "miraculous" events surrounding the escape that isn't fully clear until the end credits roll. But assuming that you can sit through the whole film, Escape from Germany offers an authentic historical retelling of little-known facts about World War II, leaving families and time-period fanatics at least somewhat entertained.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the events and people depicted in Escape from Germany. What led to World War II? Why was it important for the missionaries to escape Nazi Germany?
How would you describe the movie's point of view about faith? How do the characters demonstrate faith in the film?
The movie shows both historical Nazi and Christian symbolism. Does this film's use of symbolism affect your viewing experience? Why, or why not?
How accurate do you think the movie is to what actually happened? Why do filmmakers sometimes change the facts in movies based on real life?
Movie Details
- In theaters : April 11, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : August 2, 2024
- Cast : Paul Wuthrich , Sebastian Barr , Henning Fischer
- Director : T.C. Christensen
- Studio : Susan Tuckett Media
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Faith ( Christianity ) , History
- Character Strengths : Courage , Gratitude , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Run time : 97 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : thematic material and brief violence
- Last updated : February 4, 2026
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