Felix Randau’s Psychological Thriller “I Is Another” Turns Heinrich Himmler's Masseur Into a Story About Truth and Validation

“I Is Another,” the psychological thriller directed by Felix Randau, brings the story of Heinrich Himmler’s masseur to the screen through a lens the filmmakers describe as “true(ish),” blending historical subject matter with a focus on personal psychology and public perception. The Hollywood Reporter described the project as a Locarno-set thriller that interrogates how a person’s craving for validation can distort what they say, what they believe, and what they can live with afterward.

The production centers on the man who worked directly for Heinrich Himmler and the implications of that proximity. Randau and the film’s creative team frame the character’s role as a point of moral pressure rather than a simple biographical setup, using the tension between private intentions and public narratives as the engine of the film. According to the report, the film leans into questions of truth and ego rather than treating the subject as a purely historical artifact.

Claes Bang stars in the film, joining Valerie Pachner and Susanne Wuest. The Hollywood Reporter’s account places their casting within the project’s broader aim to dramatize how identity and credibility can be contested, especially when the past carries both political weight and personal consequences. The character-driven emphasis is presented as central to the movie’s structure, with the performances intended to sustain the film’s psychological stakes.

The report characterizes “I Is Another” as coming out of a tradition of European festival-oriented thrillers that use a historical figure or historical context to ask contemporary questions about recognition and legitimacy. In this case, the filmmakers’ stated interest is not only what happened during the era but also how people later interpret what they did and why they chose to present themselves the way they did, turning the story into a study of narrative hunger.

Locarno is referenced as a key setting for the project’s framing, suggesting the film is being positioned for that kind of international audience and critical conversation. The Hollywood Reporter’s description does not provide additional release logistics in the information provided, so specific dates, distribution plans, or festival scheduling details are not confirmed here. As with many festival-bound works, the next milestone for viewers will be when the film’s premiere date and screening plan are formally announced by the festival or distributor.

The subject matter of a Nazi-associated figure can raise immediate questions for audiences about historical accuracy and ethical storytelling, particularly when the project itself indicates that it is “true(ish).” The Hollywood Reporter’s wording points to deliberate creative shaping, which means viewers and critics may evaluate not only the film’s craft but also its approach to interpretation and responsibility in representing a person tied to the Nazi apparatus. That emphasis on “truth” inside the narrative also indicates that the film’s central conflict may be shaped as much by self-justification as by documented history.

For now, the information available centers on the film’s creative team, cast, and thematic framing, rather than on specific scenes, quotations, or documented historical claims about the masseur’s actions. That makes it especially important, as the film prepares for public audiences, for any final press materials to clearly distinguish between verified historical record and dramatized elements, so viewers know what the film is claiming and what it is reimagining for dramatic effect.