‘The Tasters’ Brings A Hidden World War II Story To The Big Screen

Courtesy of MetFilm Distribution

The time was 1942. World War II was raging throughout the world. So many lives every single day were lost to combat on the front lines. But for fifteen women living in the villages of East Prussia, life was about to change entirely as well. They were plucked and pulled from their own families and forced to be a part of a terrifying ordeal. A secret trial that took place behind high walls - which was all hidden from history - until seventy years later.

As the story goes (told by a single woman who you will be introduced to soon enough), they all were chosen to become Adolf Hitler’s food samplers - forced to put their own health at risk every single day so he wouldn’t be poisoned - eat the meals just as if they would be served to him. In 2012 and on her 95th birthday, a woman named Margot Wölk came forth and told a local Berlin journalist about these years - the worst years of her life. She was one of the fifteen and lived to tell the story.

“We felt like guinea pigs.” - said by Wölk herself in the aforementioned interview.

Even though there happens to be no evidence that supports or denies these claims thus far, this first-hand account has become an international sensation - so much so that it has also been adapted into multiple mediums. First, a novel called At The Wolf’s Table - published in  2018 by award winning Italian author Rosella Postorino that recounts these same events with some fictional changes. Now, we have The Tasters - a trifecta production that was brought together by Italian, Belgium and Switzerland but also directed by Silvio Soldini, another award-winning Italian filmmaker.

While American audiences may not be familiar with their names just yet, The Tasters host a myriad of international actors such as Elisa Schlott (in the leading role), Max Reimelt, Alma Hasun and Emma Falck. Since these names have been on-screen faces for over or under twenty years now, it’s unsurprising to say that they easily prove their acting worth once more in this compelling Soldini work.

Playing main character Rosa Sauer, Schlott does a marvelous job of methodically and emotionally charging just about every scene that she is in. From the very beginning, the actress treads carefully through Rosa’s eyes - excellently conveying the magnitude of this extreme situation. Even though the character of Albert Zeigler is by definition a SS officer, Reimelt - using the script of The Tasters as a template - crafts a morally confused and thus, very interesting antagonist.

Hasun and Falck both have roles as some of the more notable faces in the taster group.  Playing Elfriede, the former is just perfect in her supporting role - potentially the standout actress in the movie - balancing an ability to be the matriarch for this sudden work group while also holding an astonishing secret close to her chest. The latter also holds her own, bringing a sense of life into the closed walls where living is only worth as much as the leader they serve.

Running at two hours and three minutes, the film attempts to go beyond Wölk’s initial narrative by introducing some daring thematic flairs - that the cast carry as far as they can within the confines of the movie’s setting. While subjects like death and grief naturally haunt any such wartime setting (past or present), other topics like affairs and abortions (which do make their presence known in The Tasters) are heavy enough to make you temporarily forget about the recently unearthed subject matter - dining and dying.

Don’t get me wrong. The subplots are not wasteful by any means - they strengthen the women’s individuality and resilience but the same could have been done through a more focused story. When Rosa and Elfriede do get sick, the suspenseful moment (and the fleeting but traumatizing aftermath sequence which shows the heartlessness of the Nazis) just doesn’t feel as impactful as everything else going on. The touches of dramatization (noted above) are easily given more dexterity and thoughtfulness. The will to live comes out in these women regardless - it just seems like the easier path was taken in terms of showing it.

The fact remains that - even with the small world that The Tasters is set in (set pieces and/or locales almost feel on rotation), this rather unexploited branch of World War II history is handled with immense care. None of the cast members ever feel weak with their delivery and/or performances (which should be a congratulations in itself) and Renato Berta’s cinematography - especially in the climax - helps to tether this film to a lasting memory with viewers.

            I will give The Tasters a 4 out of 5.

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            Even though The Tasters does not seem to have a U.S streaming date, the film was presented in the Italy on Screen Today - New York Film & TV Series Fest on December 5, 2025 as well as being given a screening spotlight in many cinemas throughout Italy, Switzerland and Belgium.