Honestly, most people think they know the story. You read the book in middle school, you saw a play, maybe you caught that black-and-white movie from the fifties. But the Diary of Anne Frank movie 2009—the BBC adaptation starring Ellie Kendrick—hits different. It isn’t just another "prestige" period piece meant to make you feel sad for two hours and then move on with your life. It feels claustrophobic. It feels real. It feels like you’re actually stuck in that Annex with eight people who are slowly losing their minds from boredom and terror.
It's raw.
When the BBC and Masterpiece on PBS decided to take another crack at this story, they had a specific goal. They wanted to move away from the "saintly" version of Anne Frank. You know the one—the girl who is always smiling and hopeful despite everything. The 2009 miniseries, written by Deborah Moggach, gives us the Anne from the "Definitive Edition" of the diary. This is the Anne who is moody, hormonal, frustrated with her mother, and obsessed with her own changing body. It’s a portrait of a real teenager, not a marble statue.
What makes the 2009 adaptation stand out?
Most Anne Frank movies feel like they were filmed on a stage. They have that "theatrical" air where the lighting is perfect and the costumes are pristine. The Diary of Anne Frank movie 2009 threw that out the window. The set was a near-exact replica of the Prinsengracht 263 secret annex. It wasn't just a set; it was a cage.
Ellie Kendrick, who played Anne, was actually seventeen when they filmed it, which is closer to Anne’s real age than many previous actresses. She brings this frantic, nervous energy to the role. One minute she’s laughing hysterically, and the next she’s screaming at her mother, Edith. It’s uncomfortable to watch sometimes. But that’s the point. Living in 500 square feet for two years with seven other people isn't a poem. It's a nightmare of frayed nerves.
The cast brought a weird, tense chemistry
The casting here was brilliant because it didn't rely on massive A-list stars to sell the tragedy. Tamsin Greig as Edith Frank is heartbreaking. Usually, Edith is portrayed as either a background character or a "mean" mom. In this version, you see her deep, silent depression. You see a woman trying to keep her family alive while her daughter openly prefers her father.
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Then you have Iain Glen as Otto Frank. Before he was Jorah Mormont in Game of Thrones, he was the rock of the Annex. Glen plays Otto with a quiet dignity that makes the ending hurt even more. He isn't some superhero; he’s just a guy trying to keep everyone from snapping.
- The Van Daans: They aren't just comic relief here. Felicity Montagu and Ron Cook play them as deeply flawed, selfish, and yet utterly human people who are terrified of starving.
- Peter Van Daan: Played by Geoff Breton, he’s awkward and shy, providing the perfect foil to Anne’s exploding personality.
The struggle for factual accuracy in the Diary of Anne Frank movie 2009
This production leaned heavily on the research of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. They didn't want to "Hollywood-ize" the experience. For example, the food. In many movies, you see people eating well enough. In this 2009 version, you see the rotten potatoes. You see the constant talk of kale and how sick they are of it.
The script pulls directly from the entries Anne wrote after she started revising her diary for a future book (she called it Het Achterhuis). Because of this, we get more of her internal monologue about the war. We hear her thoughts on the BBC radio broadcasts they risked their lives to listen to. It grounds the story in the actual history of 1942 to 1944.
Why the cinematography feels so modern
Director Jon Jones used a lot of handheld camera work. It’s subtle, but it makes the Annex feel unstable. The colors are muted—lots of browns, greys, and sickly yellows. It contrasts sharply with the few scenes of the outside world or the dream sequences Anne has about being free.
The lighting is mostly "natural." If it’s night, the rooms are dark. If the shutters are closed, it’s dim. It forces the audience to feel the sensory deprivation that the residents felt. You start to crave a breeze or a ray of sunlight just by watching them.
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The ending that everyone knows but no one is ready for
We all know how it ends. The Bergen-Belsen ending is the shadow hanging over every single frame. But the Diary of Anne Frank movie 2009 handles the betrayal and the arrest with a terrifying silence. There’s no big, dramatic orchestral swell. There’s just the sound of boots and the realization that the world they built in that attic has shattered.
The final scenes, which show Otto Frank after the war, are handled with extreme delicacy. When he receives the diary from Miep Gies, played by Kate Ashfield, the weight of what has been lost is staggering. It’s a reminder that this isn’t just a "story"—it’s a document of a life cut short.
Addressing the critics: Was it too "modern"?
Some critics at the time complained that Anne was too "bratty" in this version. They missed the "spirit" of the 1959 film where she was a beacon of hope. Honestly? Those critics are wrong. Anne was a teenager. She was thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen. Teenagers are often difficult, especially when they are being persecuted by a genocidal regime and can't go outside for 761 days.
By making Anne human, the 2009 movie makes her relatable. It makes her death feel like the loss of a person you actually know, not a historical icon. It’s easy to mourn a saint. It’s much harder, and much more important, to mourn a messy, brilliant, annoying, wonderful kid.
Key takeaways for viewers and students
If you’re planning to watch this version for the first time, or if you’re using it for a class, keep a few things in mind to get the most out of the experience.
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Watch the background characters.
Pay attention to Margot Frank (played by Felicity Jones). She doesn't have as many lines as Anne, but her quiet suffering is a massive part of the family dynamic. Felicity Jones does an incredible job of showing the "perfect" daughter slowly fading away.
Listen to the sound design.
The movie uses sound to build tension. The ticking clocks, the distant sirens, the sound of the warehouse workers downstairs. These aren't just background noises; they were the heartbeat of the Annex. Every sound was a potential death sentence.
Compare it to the diary.
If you have a copy of the "Definitive Edition," look for the scenes where Anne talks about her mother or her feelings for Peter. You'll see how closely the 2009 script sticks to her actual words. It’s one of the most faithful adaptations ever produced.
How to watch it today
The Diary of Anne Frank movie 2009 is frequently available on streaming platforms like Amazon Prime (via the Masterpiece channel) or for digital purchase on iTunes and Google Play. Because it was a BBC production, it also pops up on BBC iPlayer in the UK from time to time.
Next steps for deeper understanding:
- Read the Definitive Edition: To truly appreciate the 2009 film, read the version of the diary that includes the "B-series" edits Anne made herself. It provides the context for her more complex personality shown in the movie.
- Explore the Anne Frank House Virtual Tour: The movie set was based on the actual house in Amsterdam. You can take a 360-degree virtual tour online to see how accurately the 2009 production recreated the cramped quarters.
- Research the "Secret Annex" helpers: The movie features Miep Gies and Bep Voskuijl. Look up their real-life stories; Miep Gies lived to be 100 years old and spent her life ensuring Anne's message survived.
- Watch the 1959 version for contrast: Seeing the two films side-by-side highlights how much our cultural understanding of the Holocaust—and Anne herself—has evolved from "sanitized" to "realistic" over fifty years.