Name: My Best Friend Anne Frank
Genre: History, War, Drama
Released: 2021-10-07T00:00:00+00:00
Cast: Josephine Arendsen, Aiko Beemsterboer, Roeland Fernhout, Hans Peterson, Rein Hofman

The moment Hannah Goslar catches sight of her childhood friend Anne Frank through the barbed wire of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, the film’s central tension snaps into sharp focus. The scene is a gut-punch, a devastating reunion that director Ben Sombogaart renders with stark, unflinching clarity.

“My Best Friend Anne Frank” (2021) is not another sanitized retelling of Anne Frank’s life, but rather a focused examination of her friendship with Hannah Goslar, as seen through Goslar’s eyes. Based on the memoir “Memories of Anne Frank,” this Dutch biographical drama charts their bond from the relative safety of Nazi-occupied Amsterdam to the horrors of Bergen-Belsen. Josephine Arendsen delivers a nuanced performance as Hannah, anchoring the film with quiet strength and vulnerability. Aiko Beemsterboer, as Anne, avoids the pitfalls of hagiography, portraying her friend as a complex, spirited girl rather than an idealized martyr.

The film’s greatest strength lies in its specificity. Sombogaart resists the urge to monumentalize, instead grounding the story in intimate moments: Hannah and Anne sharing secrets behind the schoolyard wall, the Goslar family huddled together as their world shrinks, the chilling banality of deportation. The sound design amplifies the tension, with Merlijn Snitker’s score weaving haunting melodies that underscore the girls’ resilience without resorting to sentimentality.

Yet the film falters in its pacing and structural choices. The abrupt shift from Amsterdam to Bergen-Belsen disrupts the narrative flow, and some historical context feels glaringly absent. While the focus on Hannah’s perspective is refreshing, it occasionally leaves Anne’s character underdeveloped, particularly in the camp sequences where their dynamic could have been further explored.

The performances are generally strong, with Lottie Hellingman standing out as Hannah’s mother, Ruth Judith Goslar. However, some supporting characters, like the German soldiers and camp officers, feel one-dimensional, missing opportunities for nuance in a story that thrives on complexity.

“My Best Friend Anne Frank” is a sobering reminder of the human cost of war, told through the lens of an enduring friendship. It’s not an easy watch, but its unflinching honesty makes it a necessary one.