Sieben Monde (1998)

For weeks, fear has gripped Munich: an unknown killer has already brutally murdered several people, in some cases in an especially gruesome manner. Since the killings have all taken place on nights with a full moon, the victims have been mutilated with claw marks, and animal hair has been found at the crime scenes, rumors of a werewolf are spreading among the public. The officer in charge, Lasinger, assigns two experienced but completely opposite detectives to solve the murders: the unconventional Becker, who believes in the supernatural explanation himself, and the down-to-earth Graf. At the same time, the introverted writer and screenwriter Thomas Krömer is working on dubbing horror films. Krömer seems rather shy to those around him and, with the support of his editor, Eschbach, is still working on his debut novel. His relationship with his partner, Alexandra, a bookseller, is purely platonic, though he would like to take it further. The author unexpectedly becomes involved in the investigation when he is asked to watch over his grandmother’s house one night. The scene is eerie: the family dog runs off nervously, and, to top it all, Krömer is attacked by a creature. The next day, his grandmother is dead—apparently murdered by the serial killer. As Becker and Graf continue their investigation, Krömer begins to wonder. He considers whether the werewolf legend might be real and whether he himself is probably one of these mythical creatures. Various seemingly insignificant things he has been unable to explain until now point that way: a craving for bloody food, being active at night, and, for example, having no memory of the night of the murder. The police are also gradually closing in on Krömer, who is increasingly coming to believe that he is a murderous werewolf. However, the author realizes that life as a wolf-man also has some significant advantages: he now seems much more self-confident, finally makes a move toward Alexandra, and spends a passionate night with her. As the police investigation closes in on Krömer and he worries that he might hurt Alexandra as a werewolf, he goes into hiding. With the next full moon approaching and another murder looming, Krömer wants certainty at last and plans to document his transformation with a video camera. Meanwhile, Graf and Becker uncover evidence that clears Krömer. They find paraphernalia belonging to the real killer, which he used to disguise the murders as staged wolf attacks. The story reaches its climax at the grandmother’s house. Krömer, who does not transform and is not a werewolf, exposes the real culprit, just as the police do: his editor, Eschbach, who planned the murders around the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and intended to frame Krömer. Eschbach has also taken Alexandra hostage and threatens to kill her and himself. In the end, the police and Krömer manage to rescue Alexandra, while Eschbach blows himself up along with the house.