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Knockin' on Heaven's Door

  • 1997
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 27m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
36K
YOUR RATING
Til Schweiger and Jan Josef Liefers in Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997)
Two terminally ill patients escape from a hospital, steal a car and rush towards the sea.
Play trailer4:22
1 Video
26 Photos
CaperActionComedyCrimeDrama

Two terminally ill patients escape from a hospital, steal a car and rush towards the sea.Two terminally ill patients escape from a hospital, steal a car and rush towards the sea.Two terminally ill patients escape from a hospital, steal a car and rush towards the sea.

  • Director
    • Thomas Jahn
  • Writers
    • Thomas Jahn
    • Til Schweiger
  • Stars
    • Til Schweiger
    • Jan Josef Liefers
    • Thierry van Werveke
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.8/10
    36K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Thomas Jahn
    • Writers
      • Thomas Jahn
      • Til Schweiger
    • Stars
      • Til Schweiger
      • Jan Josef Liefers
      • Thierry van Werveke
    • 57User reviews
    • 21Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 8 wins & 3 nominations total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 4:22
    Trailer

    Photos26

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    + 19
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    Top cast56

    Edit
    Til Schweiger
    Til Schweiger
    • Martin Brest
    Jan Josef Liefers
    Jan Josef Liefers
    • Rudi Wurlitzer
    Thierry van Werveke
    • Henk - der Belgier
    Moritz Bleibtreu
    Moritz Bleibtreu
    • Abdul - der Araber
    Huub Stapel
    Huub Stapel
    • Frankie 'Boy' Beluga
    Leonard Lansink
    Leonard Lansink
    • Kommissar Schneider
    Ralph Herforth
    Ralph Herforth
    • Assistent Keller
    Cornelia Froboess
    Cornelia Froboess
    • Frau Brest - Martins Mutter
    Rutger Hauer
    Rutger Hauer
    • Curtiz
    Willi Thomczyk
    Willi Thomczyk
    • Autoverkäufer
    • (as Willy Thomczyk)
    Christiane Paul
    Christiane Paul
    • Verkäuferin Boutique
    Hannes Jaenicke
    Hannes Jaenicke
    • Motorrad-Polizist
    Vladimir Weigl
    • Harald Rohwitz
    Jenny Elvers
    • Schwester Labor A
    Corinna Harfouch
    Corinna Harfouch
    • Schwester Labor B
    Tobias Schenke
    • Junge
    Hark Bohm
    Hark Bohm
    • Polizeipsychologe
    Jürgen Becker
    • Tankwart
    • Director
      • Thomas Jahn
    • Writers
      • Thomas Jahn
      • Til Schweiger
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews57

    7.835.9K
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    Featured reviews

    10andlommy

    an awesome one

    After watching the movie for 11th time i decided to share what i think of it.

    It is simply great. By great i mean the idea that is (supposedly) very deep inside. Perhaps it's about the ultimate goal, that everyone has and hasn't got time to fulfill it, and when the moment comes that makes one understand 'now is the right time'. Sometimes it's too late, sometimes one never understands it is time to change something, but for those two, life was a success. Quoting matrix (kill me), it's the "free your mind" style, when all problems go away and you can do whatever you want to do. It's actually a very thrilling experience, and hope this movie can inspire someone to change something in the rhythm of life they're currently living. I like movies that make you think different of things, and this surely is one that does so.
    viki-7

    A shame on Hollywood for not showing it in the Usa

    As a german and former huge fan of actor til schweiger it was very important for me to see this movie when it was released in 1997. I wasn't disappointed at all, because this is probably one of the best movies ever. It is so entertaining because it is including a lot of humor (probably a lot of german humor), action and drama. Also very good is the performance of Moritz Bleibtreu, who became well-known, because of his great play of a turkish-german gangster. But this is ,as far as Im concerned, only funny for people who understand german very well.It would be quite nice for american people to watch a REALLY good german movie, that is better as some hollywood movies counted together. If you have the opinion to see it , use your chance!
    brersimon

    Watch this film!

    This is easily one of the best films that I have seen in a long time and certainly the best of its modern gangster genre. The plot is maybe a touch formulaic but that fits well as the whole film pokes fun of many of the clichees that Hollywood pictures like Pulp Fiction take a little too seriously. Actually, I have heard many people compare it to Pulp Fiction, but the only real similarity I found is in its frenetic style and odd sense of humor. As for humor, the subtitles are well done, so you don't lose much in the translation.
    7lasttimeisaw

    Knockin' On Heaven's Door - 7/10

    2 men who were sentenced to death by their doctors spent their precious remaining time together to experience something they never had chance to do before when they occasionally found a lot of money two stupid gangsters left.

    This is a crazy comedy with good entertainment, and because we know the tragical end, so the highly contrast of the hilarious story really make me have a bittersweet feeling which is wonderful.

    Their last wish is to see sea with their own eyes, a quite common wish but they never did before. We always think we have a lot of time to do things we want to do, but nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. We never have the courage to do something derailed from our normal track of life, and gradually lost the aim and fun of it, living numbly and waiting to the final destination.

    The cast is good and I Love Til Schweiger so much, really a charming role! Moritz Bleibtreu is outstanding as one of the moron gangster too.

    I rarely watch Germany comedic films, "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" is an exception even it might be too crazy for some people, still need a good recommendation.
    Ehrgeiz

    We should not overestimate it...

    This movie is not bad, but it is not to good either. I would classify it as a fairy-tale. Rudi and Martin, to about 30-years old man, have both cancer and flee out of their hospital. They make a journey to the sea und use their last days to fulfil their wishes.

    By intention this movie is far from realism. For example, you never see symptoms of illness at Rudi, despite he is very sick of bone cancer. There are lot of gunfights, but no one dies or gets hurt. In one scene dozens of police cars chase the two guys. The two main gangsters, Henk and Abdul, are in their black suits a mixture of Tarantino-style guys and the typical german smalltown thug.

    That makes the movie very light-hearted, but a bit stupid also. To me good fun for 90 minutes, but I would not look it a second time.

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    Related interests

    Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, and Elliott Gould in Ocean's Eleven (2001)
    Caper
    Bruce Willis in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Was the most successful German movie of 1997 with 3,585,422 tickets sold.
    • Goofs
      While Rudi sleeps with the whores the foot of the cameraman can be seen.
    • Quotes

      Martin Brest: In heaven, they're talking about nothing but the sea and how wonderful it is. They talk about the sunsets they saw, they talk about how the sun turned blood red before diving into the sea and they talk about how they could feel how the sun lost its power and the coolness from the sea and all that fire was only glowing inside.

    • Crazy credits
      There is a short film sequence after the credits. It shows Bernd Eichinger being searched by a policeman. He carries some of the money that was sent to different people by mail in the film.
    • Connections
      Featured in Inthierryview (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      I Will Survive
      By Freddie Perren (as Frederick Perren) / Dino Fekaris

      Performed by U-Stay with Melina

      Produced by Franz Plasa and Mahony Prod

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    FAQ17

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 20, 1997 (Germany)
    • Country of origin
      • Germany
    • Languages
      • German
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Достукатись до небес
    • Filming locations
      • Texel, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
    • Production companies
      • Buena Vista International Film Production (Germany)
      • Mr. Brown Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • DEM 4,300,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $5,710
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,731
      • Aug 22, 1999
    • Gross worldwide
      • $214,139
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 27m(87 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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