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The Exception

Play trailer 2:18 Poster for The Exception R 2017 1h 47m History Drama War Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
75% Tomatometer 61 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
German soldier Stefan Brandt goes on a mission to investigate exiled German Monarch Kaiser Wilhelm II. The Kaiser lives in a secluded mansion in the Netherlands, and as Germany is taking over Holland, the country's authorities are concerned that Dutch spies may be watching the Kaiser. As Brandt begins to infiltrate the Kaiser's life in search of clues, he finds himself drawn into an unexpected and passionate romance with Mieke, one of the Kaiser's maids.
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The Exception

The Exception

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Critics Consensus

The Exception (The Kaiser's Last Kiss) elegantly blends well-dressed period romance and war drama into a solidly crafted story further elevated by Christopher Plummer's excellent work and the efforts of a talented supporting cast.

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Critics Reviews

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Kevin Maher The Times (UK) Oct 13, 2022
Philandering Nazis, saucy servants, preposterous subterfuge — there's a touch of 'Allo 'Allo! in this espionage wartime thriller. Go to Full Review Peter Bradshaw Guardian Sep 29, 2017
2/5
The ridiculousness levels are very high. Go to Full Review Ed Potton The Times (UK) Sep 29, 2017
3/5
The film moves at a good lick and it's directed with a light touch by David Leveaux. Go to Full Review Jason Adams The Film Experience Jan 14, 2022
The Exception never lets itself drown in the horror that we all know's just off-screen Go to Full Review Kip Mooney Fresh Fiction Aug 10, 2021
B-
A perfectly adequate World War II story that features one tremendous performance and little else. Go to Full Review Emma Simmonds The List Jan 18, 2021
3/5
Fuelled by strong performances and suspense, The Exception is persuasive in its belief that even the most casual cruelty can have potentially devastating consequences. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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thiago s @Thiagostone Feb 9, 2026 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Sebastian V @RT97331211 Oct 9, 2025 The war drama is very good, the movie envelops on a very interesting war romance See more Steve C @RT19610513 Jul 29, 2025 A predictable ending. Their romance is based on doing X rated activity while she insists that they can still do their duty too. See more Paul G @RT67423558 Dec 29, 2024 Very poor. I have no idea why Lilly James and Christopher Plummer agreed to do this what seems like a low budget, poorly made film. The romance seems very forced, the ending poor. Nothing here worth watching. See more Jun 19, 2024 I loved this movie. Two strong hearts, minds and wills. Great cast. Beautiful love story. See more Per S @RT83737705 Aug 26, 2022 Instead of creating a close portrayal of Kaiser Wilhelm II, with one of the absolute best acting performers in the business in a true leading role, The Exception makers got carried away into a romantic soapish kind of secret agent, and not particularly exciting WW2 thriller, where the actual historical events play a very diminshed part. The result is that the total just ends up with quite a lot less of both, neither good history or fiction. Nevertheless, though it didn't really become one of his last great film roles, Christopher Plummer still stands out and saves the day. See more Read all reviews
The Exception

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Cast & Crew

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David Leveaux

Director

Lily James

Mieke de Jong

Jai Courtney

Capt. Stefan Brandt

Christopher Plummer

Kaiser Wilhelm II

Eddie Marsan

Heinrich Himmler

Ben Daniels

Col. Sigurd von Ilsemann

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The Exception

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The Exception

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Movie Info

Synopsis German soldier Stefan Brandt goes on a mission to investigate exiled German Monarch Kaiser Wilhelm II. The Kaiser lives in a secluded mansion in the Netherlands, and as Germany is taking over Holland, the country's authorities are concerned that Dutch spies may be watching the Kaiser. As Brandt begins to infiltrate the Kaiser's life in search of clues, he finds himself drawn into an unexpected and passionate romance with Mieke, one of the Kaiser's maids.
Director
David Leveaux
Producer
Lou Pitt, Judy Tossell
Screenwriter
Simon Burke
Distributor
A24
Production Co
Ostar Productions
Rating
R (Graphic Nudity|Brief Violence|Language|Sexuality)
Genre
History, Drama, War, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 2, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
May 30, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$708.0K
Runtime
1h 47m
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