‘The Devil’s Bath,’ Berlinale Competition Thriller From ‘Goodnight Mommy’ Duo, Sells to Key Markets for Playtime (EXCLUSIVE)

Elsa Keslassy

19 February 2024 at 5:53 am·2-min read

Playtime has had a busy EFM, where it’s locked a raft of major deals on “The Devil’s Bath,” a period psychological thriller in competition at the Berlin Film Festival.

“The Devil’s Bath” is directed by Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, the Austrian filmmaking duo behind “Goodnight Mommy.”

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Set in rural Austria in 1750, “The Devil’s Bath” stars Anja Plaschg, the up-and-coming singer and composer known as Soap & Skin. Plaschg plays Agnes, a young married woman who feels oppressed in her husband’s world, which is devoid of emotions and limited to chores and expectations. A pious and highly sensitive woman, Agnes falls into a deep depression, before committing a shocking act of violence that she sees as the only way out of her inner prison.

“The Devil’s Bath” has been bought by Klockworx (Japan), Cine Canibal (Latin America), Russian World Vision (CIS excluding Ukraine), September Films (Benelux), Movies Inspired (Italy), Caramel Films (Spain) and Arthouse Traffic (Ukraine).

The movie was acquired by Shudder for North America, as well as in the U.K., Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, at the market.

Based on historical records, the film is inspired by the true stories of women who attempted to end their lives by committing murders in order to escape the damnation promised to men and women who committed suicide. “The Devil’s Bath” sheds light on the plight of women whose lives during that era was defined by religious dogma and taboos.

“Goodnight Mommy” world premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2014 and represented Austria in the Oscar race. It won a flurry of laurels, including nods at the European Film Awards and National Board of Review. “Goodnight Mommy” was also remade into an English-language film released by Amazon under the same title, starring Naomi Watts.

Playtime is also at the Berlinale with “Suspended Time,” Olivier Assayas’ film starring Vincent Macaigne and Nora Hamzawi.

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