The Lives of Others
“Before the Fall of the Berlin Wall, East Germany's Secret Police Listened to Your Secrets.”
In 1984 East Berlin, dedicated Stasi officer Gerd Wiesler begins spying on a famous playwright and his actress-lover Christa-Maria. Wiesler becomes unexpectedly sympathetic to the couple, and faces conflicting loyalties when his superior takes a liking to Christa-Maria.
Where to watch The Lives of Others in United States
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FlixFlingClick a service to open The Lives of Others there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.
Where is The Lives of Others streaming around the world?
| Country | Streaming on | Rent / Buy |
|---|---|---|
| United States | — | Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies |
| Canada | Hoopla, Plex | FlixFling, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies |
| Australia | SBS On Demand | — |
| Germany | Joyn Plus, Kabel Eins Classics Amazon Channel, Seven Entertainment Amazon Channel, Magenta TV+ | Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Sky Store |
| France | Amazon Prime Video, Molotov TV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, M6+ | Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Canal VOD |
| Japan | U-NEXT | Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies |
| South Korea | wavve, Watcha, TVING | wavve, Google Play Movies |
About The Lives of Others
The Lives of Others is a 2006 German-language drama and thriller film directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck. The cast is led by Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch. It has a runtime of 2h 17m. Viewers rate it 8.0/10 across 4100 ratings. In United States, it is available to rent or buy on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
The Lives of Others was produced by Creado Film, Wiedemann & Berg Film, and ARTE and made in Germany and France. It was released on March 23, 2006, and carries a R certification. Made on a budget of about $2 million, it went on to gross $78 million worldwide.
- Director
- Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
- Writers
- Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
- Release date
- March 23, 2006
- Original language
- German
- Age rating
- R
- Status
- Released
- Country
- Germany, France
- Budget
- $2 million
- Box office
- $78 million
- Production
- Creado Film, Wiedemann & Berg Film, ARTE
The Lives of Others cast & crew
The Lives of Others was directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck and written by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck.
The cast features Martina Gedeck as Christa-Maria Sieland, Ulrich Mühe as Gerd Wiesler, Sebastian Koch as Georg Dreyman, Ulrich Tukur as Anton Grubitz, Thomas Thieme as Bruno Hempf, and Hans-Uwe Bauer as Paul Hauser.
Behind the camera, the score was composed by Gabriel Yared, cinematography is by Hagen Bogdanski, and it was produced by Max Wiedemann and Quirin Berg.
Is The Lives of Others worth watching?
The Lives of Others holds an audience score of 8.0/10 from 4,136 ratings, ranking it among the most acclaimed drama films.
At 2h 17m, it's a standard feature-length watch.
If you enjoy drama and thriller, The Lives of Others is worth a place on your watchlist.
How and where to watch The Lives of Others
The Lives of Others isn't on a subscription service in United States right now, but you can rent or buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube.
Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.
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Cast of The Lives of Others
Martina Gedeck
Christa-Maria Sieland
Ulrich Mühe
Gerd Wiesler
Sebastian Koch
Georg Dreyman
Ulrich Tukur
Anton Grubitz
Thomas Thieme
Bruno Hempf
Hans-Uwe Bauer
Paul Hauser
Volkmar Kleinert
Albert Jerska
Matthias Brenner
Karl Wallner
Charly Hübner
Udo
Herbert Knaup
Gregor Hessenstein
Bastian Trost
Häftling 227
Marie Gruber
Frau Meineke
The Lives of Others — FAQs
▸Where can I watch The Lives of Others in United States?
The Lives of Others is not on subscription streaming in United States right now, but you can rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies.
▸What language is The Lives of Others in?
The Lives of Others is originally in German. Subtitle and dub options vary by streaming service.
▸How long is The Lives of Others?
The Lives of Others runs 2 hours 17 minutes (137 minutes).
▸What is The Lives of Others rated?
The Lives of Others is rated R. It holds a 8.0/10 audience score from 4,136 ratings.
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