New in the cinema: “The Three ???” look for the Carpathian dog in the cinema

The three young detectives Justus, Peter and Bob are allowed to investigate on the big screen again. “The Three ??? and the Carpathian Dog” is the fourth film in the popular radio play and young adult book series to be released in cinemas. Behind the camera was once again director Tim Dünschede, who also brought “The Three ??? – Heir of the Dragon” to the cinema in 2023. Once again in front of the camera are Julius Weckauf (Justus Jonas), Nevio Wendt (Peter Shaw) and Levi Brandl (Bob Andrews).

In “The Three ??? and the Carpathian Dog” the junior investigators from the fictional Rocky Beach in California finally have a really tricky case to solve. After they were recently called mainly because of lost cuddly toys, escaped budgies and other small things, they were already frustrated. Justus in particular is no longer in the mood for “this child detective nonsense” and wants to do “real detective work” again.

The desperate Mr. Fenton Prentice (Ulrich Tukur) comes at just the right time. He urgently needs the trio’s intuition. Since the death of his partner, his apartment has been haunted. Prentice keeps hearing a terrible howling at night, the walls and floor of his apartment shake and the lights flicker wildly. The police don’t believe a word he says and the detectives are his last hope. And then suddenly a crystal work of art is stolen – the sculpture of the Carpathian Dog.

The investigations in the typical American apartment complex with a pool in the middle are fast-paced and varied. There are many leads and possible solutions. Because somehow any of the sometimes bizarre and eccentric neighbors could be the perpetrator. The extremely curious Mrs. Boogle (Sunnyi Melles), the mysterious snake woman, the flower power esoteric Sonny and the well-dressed stock broker. But then one after the other suddenly finds themselves in danger.

Exciting puzzle adventure for fans of the cult series

“The Three ??? and the Carpathian Dog” is told in an exciting and exciting way. Although the search for the perpetrator sometimes drags on, the film is a wonderful mystery adventure for young amateur detectives and fans of the series. The solution comes unexpectedly and even when the perpetrator has been identified, the search for the Carpathian dog is still one step behind the smart detectives.

The imagery of the 105-minute-long film captures the setting of the cult series very well. It conveys the light retro look of radio plays and books.

“Karpathenhund” is radio play announcer Rohrbeck’s favorite episode

It’s fun to watch the actors – especially Ulrich Tukur and Sunnyi Melles are convincing in their roles. The young detectives also seem well-rehearsed – but here and there Julius Weckauf (“The boy needs to get some fresh air”) could use a bit more looseness in the dialogue.

“The three???” have been an integral part of German pop culture for decades. The book series has been around for around 60 years and has been set to music for 45 years. More than 250 cases have “The Three ???” already solved. The “Carpathian Dog” was the 21st case to be published as a book in Germany and the third radio play. They appeared in the late 70s. Justus Jonas’ audio book speaker, Oliver Rohrbeck, once described “Carpathian Dog” as his favorite episode.

Surprises for fans of the series at the very end

A nice surprise is the catchy title song “Life is Calling,” sung by Nico Santos and Montez at the end of the film. There is also a message on the young detectives’ answering machine announcing film number five: “The Three ??? – Island of the Dead”. It should appear in January 2026.