Brick Movie Review: This Netflix film traps you in — then lets you down

Brick is now premiering on Netflix

‘Brick,’ directed by Philip Koch, was released on 10th July and stars Matthias Schweighofer, Ruby O. Fee, Frederick Lau, and Salber Lee Williams.

Gripping premise, lost focus

The trouble with ‘Brick,’ the latest German film on Netflix, is that it starts off like it’s got something to say but never quite figures out how to say it. You can sense the ambition from the get-go—it flirts with psychological thriller, dips into dystopian horror, and even nudges sci-fi. But somewhere along the line, it forgets to stick with any one genre long enough to matter. It’s not that the concept isn’t arresting—it absolutely is. A couple trapped inside their home by a mysterious, impenetrable wall of nanotech bricks? That’s actually a killer premise and gold on paper. But the execution stumbles, weighed down by an erratic script that doesn’t trust its own idea. You begin intrigued but end up detached, as the film gradually slips from "high-concept thriller" to a puzzle movie that doesn’t reward your patience. It has all the trappings of a Netflix experiment—slick, sleek, yet ultimately hollow.

A couple trapped—literally and emotionally

At the center of this claustrophobic thriller plot are Tim (Matthias Schweighofer) and Liv (Ruby O. Fee), a couple coping with the loss of a personal tragedy. They’ve lost a newborn child, and grief has cleaved them apart in different ways. Tim buries himself in work—he’s a game developer—while Liv, emotionally drained, walks away from her career. In an effort to reconnect, she suggests a trip to France. He refuses. And just as she’s about to leave him, their house is sealed—literally. Doors, windows, and every exit blocked by a solid brick-like formation. What starts as a fight between partners quickly turns into a fight for survival. They manage to make contact with another couple—Marvin (Frederick Lau) and Ana (Salber Lee Williams)—trapped in a similar predicament. The only way out might be the basement, but even that demands its own risks and involves breaking the floors. The idea holds immense potential. Unfortunately, the film never explores it with enough depth or conviction.

Fast-paced but emotionally hollow

To be fair, ‘Brick’ maintains a brisk pace. It keeps the runtime under 100 minutes, and there’s no denying the sense of urgency it tries to maintain. But speed can’t make up for shallowness. There are moments when it flirts with real emotional weight, especially around Liv’s trauma, but those threads are never woven into something substantial. Instead, the film throws genre tropes at the wall—psychological drama, techno thriller, domestic horror—and hopes something sticks. The claustrophobia, which should’ve been its beating heart, ends up being surface-level. And when the final act arrives, with an app scanner inexplicably opening walls, you’re left wondering: what exactly was the point? The core mystery—what’s outside these walls?—remains untouched. And that’s where the disappointment really sets in.

Sincere performances amid the chaos

Thankfully, the performances bring a sense of sincerity that the script often lacks. Matthias Schweighofer and Ruby O. Fee share a grounded chemistry that adds a much-needed emotional spine to the film. Schweighofer portrays Tim as a man struggling to hold it together, and Fee brings both fragility and fire to Liv, making her arc feel genuine even when the plot falters. The supporting cast—Frederick Lau, Salber Lee Williams, Murathan Muslu, and Sira Anna Faal—adds believable texture, especially during scenes where panic escalates. Everyone seems to be trying hard to make the stakes feel real, and the cast’s effort ends up being the most consistent part of the film.

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Intriguing idea, underwhelming payoff

In the end, ‘Brick’ is a classic case of a great idea done in by muddled storytelling. There’s real promise in its premise—an allegory for isolation, for grief, for how trauma can trap us. But the film is too scattershot to let those themes land with any power. Director Philip Koch tries to elevate things with stylish camerawork and a pulsing score, but style isn’t enough. When the film finally offers answers, they feel rushed and underwhelming. We never quite understand the how or why behind the mystery, and the big revelations don’t stick. What could’ve been a smart, compact sci-fi thriller ends up feeling like an empty experiment. ‘Brick’ lures you in with a gripping hook. But somewhere along the way, it forgets what made you care in the first place. This film is a great concept gone astray.

Rating: 2.5/5