TMBTMB
TMBTMB

Track, discover and find where to watch TV shows and movies.

Discover

  • Movies
  • TV Shows
  • Browse
  • Topics

Account

  • Watchlist
  • Watched
  • Ratings

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Content Policy

© 2026 Movie Browser. All rights reserved.

Data provided by TMDB

Home
Browse
Watchlist
backdrop
backdrop
logo
Your mom's hotel meet-cute turns into a murder mystery with Nazi ghosts.
TMDB
48
IMDb
64

The Giraffe (1998)

messy diaspora dramaearnest 90s thrillerfamily secrets unspooling

Overview

Thriller

Lena Katz, who is German, and David Fish, who is American, are Jews who live in New York. When Lena's mother, who arrives from Germany, meets her at a hotel, she finds an almost-dead woman lying on the hotel floor. She accompanies the injured woman to the hospital and meets David, who is the woman's son. After David's mother dies from the injuries, a question remains: was she murdered? The trail leads to Germany. Apparently, Lena's mother has some kind of relationship with David's mother that reaches back into the dark German history of the 1940s

Flag of CHCHFlag of USUS
Content warning

Standout Aspects

Acting

Maria Schrader carries the weight of two nations' guilt.

Writing

Dani Levy's script connects 90s New York to 1940s Germany with surgical precision.

Best for:Solo: When you want to brood about history and call your mom after.·Streaming: Obscure gem hunting — nobody else has seen this.
Heads up:Emotional: Holocaust memory and maternal death — not a light watch.
Dani Levy

Director

Dani Levy

ReleasedSep 14, 1998
Runtime1h 45m
StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacesteady
Intensitymedium
Tonemixed
Feelheavy

Top Cast

Maria Schrader

Maria Schrader

Lena Katz

Dani Levy

Dani Levy

David Fish

David Strathairn

David Strathairn

Charles Kaminski

Nicole Heesters

Nicole Heesters

Lenas Mutter

Lukas Ammann

Lukas Ammann

Eliah Goldberg

Wichart von Roëll

Wichart von Roëll

Polizeichef

Marcia Jean Kurtz

Marcia Jean Kurtz

Rita Teichmann

Mark Zimmerman

Mark Zimmerman

Bregman

Ask about The Giraffe

Opens AI chat

Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Insight

Dani Levy and Maria Schrader were real-life partners during filming, adding uncomfortable meta-layer to the Lena-David dynamic.

Cultural

This was part of a 1990s wave of German-Jewish reconciliation cinema, less famous than 'Schindler's List' but more interested in messy contemporary reckoning.

YouTube

Maria Schrader - Meschugge ( The Giraffe)

Maria Schrader - Meschugge ( The Giraffe)

Reviews

No ratings yet

Start the discussionBe the first to post — spoiler-safe
Rate & reviewBe the first to weigh in

Recommended

The Apology movie poster (2022)
5.8

The Apology

Black Widow movie poster (1987)
6.2

Black Widow

The Lady Vanishes movie poster (2013)
6.4

The Lady Vanishes

The Quiller Memorandum movie poster (1966)
5.9

The Quiller Memorandum

The Deadly Affair movie poster (1967)
6.3

The Deadly Affair

The Invitation movie poster (2016)
6.4

The Invitation

The Man Between movie poster (1953)
7.1

The Man Between

Pickup on South Street movie poster (1953)
7.4

Pickup on South Street

Maniac movie poster (1963)
6.2

Maniac

Strange but True movie poster (2019)
6.0

Strange but True

The Dark Mirror movie poster (1946)
7.0

The Dark Mirror

The Glass Key movie poster (1942)
6.6

The Glass Key

Indemnity movie poster (2022)
6.6

Indemnity

Z movie poster (2019)
6.6

Z

Conflict movie poster (1945)
6.7

Conflict

Discussion

Sign in to join the discussion — comments are spoiler-gated to your watch progress.

Discussion starters

View all comments →