The Child I Never Was

The Child I Never Was

What Becomes a Serial Killer Most?

Directed by Kai S. Pieck

Produced by MTM West Television & Film, WDR

200281 min6.6 / 10

A bleak, psychologically probing examination of a serial killer's mind and the childhood trauma that forged him, told with clinical detachment and moral gravity.

A serial killer dispassionately discusses the nuts and bolts of his grisly avocation, as well as the youthful traumas which helped to mold him into a psychopath, in this disturbing independent drama from Germany, based on the true story of of Germany's most famous child murderer Juergen Bartsch who, between the ages of 15 and 19, abused, tortured and killed four schoolboys in the Ruhr region of Germany from 1962 to 1966.

Questions people ask

  • Is The Child I Never Was easy watching? No. Less comforting than 99% of films.

  • Does The Child I Never Was end with hope? No. Less hopeful than 99% of films.

  • Is The Child I Never Was violent? Yes, very. More violent than 98% of films.

  • Is The Child I Never Was scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 72% of films.

  • Is The Child I Never Was sad? Somewhat. More sad than 70% of films.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

73/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Distinctly its own thing.

Rarity95

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise79

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love50

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Like The Child I Never Was

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as The Child I Never Was

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like The Child I Never Was, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like The Child I Never Was, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like The Child I Never Was, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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