NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: IFC Blu-ray (June 2026): IFC have transferred Christian Petzold's Undine to Blu-ray. Visually and stylistically, Petzold is precise and restrained with limited camera movement. Hans Fromm’s (Petzold’s Afire) precise, naturalistic cinematography shines through with excellent detail in architectural models, facial close-ups, and the tactile textures of water - both in the luminous aquarium shatter and the murky, practical underwater sequences. Colors are accurately rendered with muted urban tones and cool blues that feel organic rather than stylized, while black levels are deep and contrast is well-balanced for the film’s restrained aesthetic. The 1080P offers a clean, film-like presentation that honors the movie’s elegant restraint and subtle magical realism. It's pristine.

NOTE: We have added 58 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, IFC use a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround track (24-bit) in the original German language (with some English + Spanish.) The surround is is immersive and faithful to the film’s understated sound design. Dialogue is clear and centered, while ambient elements - especially the evocative intrusion of water sounds into urban spaces - create a haunting spatial presence. The recurring Bach's Concerto in D minor, BWV 974, 2. Adagio performed by Víkingur Heiðar Ólafsson is beautifully rendered with warmth and depth, and underwater sequences benefit from heightened breathing and atmospheric textures that envelop the viewer. Some will recognize The Bee Gees Stayin' Alive for chest compressions. Dynamic range is wide but never aggressive, perfectly suiting Petzold’s preference for silence and subtlety over bombast. IFC has large non-removable English subtitles on their Region 'A'-locked Blu-ray.

The IFC Blu-ray offers a substantive audio commentary featuring film scholars Marco Abel (Violent Affect: Literature, Cinema, and Critique after Representation) and Jaimey Fisher (Christian Petzold - Contemporary Film Directors) - co-editors of Christian Petzold: Interviews - who deliver a thoughtful, academic discussion of the film’s place in Petzold’s oeuvre, its engagement with Berlin School aesthetics, mythic intertextuality, and themes of history and regeneration. A booklet includes new essays by Olivia Landry (Cinema of Crushing Motherhood: A New Feminist Cinema) and Ailie Margot, providing additional critical context. .

Christian Petzold's Undine is a hypnotic, modern fairy tale that reimagines the 19th-century German Romantic legend of the water nymph while weaving it into contemporary Berlin’s layered history, architecture, and emotional undercurrents. Paula Beer (Petzold’s Afire) stars as Undine Wibeau, a historian specializing in Berlin’s urban development, who delivers lectures on the city’s transformations - most notably the Humboldt Forum, a 21st-century reconstruction of an 18th-century palace that embodies the idea that “progress is impossible.” When her married lover Johannes (Jacob Matschenz) betrays and abandons her, the ancient myth asserts itself: as an undine who has taken human form for love, she is bound to kill the betrayer and return to the water. A shattering aquarium meet-cute with industrial diver Christoph (Franz Rogowski - Victoria) sparks a profound, seemingly fated romance that challenges this destiny. Undine is the first in Petzold’s planned elemental trilogy, marking a bold evolution: more overtly mythic yet deeply tied to his preoccupations with identity, history’s ghosts, and the quiet magic in fractured modern lives. A delicate, textured fable that feels both timeless and urgently contemporary. IFC’s Blu-ray of Undine is a welcome and high-quality North American debut for Christian Petzold’s hypnotic modern fairy tale. With a fine transfer that showcases the film’s visual poetry, excellent lossless audio that enhances its sonic subtlety, and insightful scholarly extras anchored by the strong commentary track and booklet, it stands as a recommended purchase for fans of arthouse cinema and Petzold’s elemental explorations. The Blu-ray captures the quiet magic and emotional resonance of the film without distraction, making it an essential addition to any collection of contemporary European auteur releases. DVDBeaver love Christian Petzold (Jerichow, The State I Am In, Yella, Ghosts, Barbara, Phoenix, Afire) - Undine is certainly recommended.

Gary Tooze