Kurt Gerstein—a member of the Institute for Hygiene of the Waffen-SS—is appalled to discover that a poison gas he helped discover is being used to kill Jews. Driven by his conscience to alert the rest of the world, Gerstein teams up with a young Jesuit priest, Riccardo Fontana, but their protestations fall on deaf ears in the Vatican.

Amen loses some of its impact to a protracted running time and deliberate pace, but Ulrich Tukur's powerful performance helps bring the story's worthy themes to life.

'Amen.' is universally praised as thought-provoking and morally challenging, with powerful examination of Vatican silence during the Holocaust and institutional complicity. Ulrich Tukur's performance and the film's religious themes receive strong acclaim for their nuanced complexity. However, opinions sharply divide on historical accuracy, with some calling it propaganda while others praise its factual basis. Engagement level proves polarizing—some find it intellectually absorbing, others criticize it as dry and cinematically wanting. The writing receives mixed reactions for balancing historical detail with dramatic appeal.