23
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68% Critic Match

23

6.8 / 10 1998 1h 39mNR German
DramaThriller

Storyline

The movie's plot is based on the true story of a group of young computer hackers from Hannover, Germany. In the late 1980s the orphaned Karl Koch invests his heritage in a flat and a home computer. At first he dials up to bulletin boards to discuss conspiracy theories inspired by his favorite novel, R.A. Wilson's "Illuminatus", but soon he and his friend David start breaking into government and military computers. Pepe, one of Karl's rather criminal acquaintances senses that there is money in computer cracking - he travels to east Berlin and tries to contact the KGB.

Cast & Crew

August Diehl

August Diehl

Karl Koch

Lead
Fabian Busch

Fabian Busch

David

Dieter Landuris

Dieter Landuris

Pepe

Jan-Gregor Kremp

Jan-Gregor Kremp

Lupo

Burghart Klaußner

Burghart Klaußner

Weber

Stephan Kampwirth

Stephan Kampwirth

Jochen Maiwald

Zbigniew Zamachowski

Zbigniew Zamachowski

Sergej

Peter Fitz

Peter Fitz

Brückner

What People Are Saying

4.0
A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Hans-Christian Schmid's vision lands with breathtaking precision.
Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
3.0
Every frame feels alive. 23 is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker