With seemingly little effort, a not so small story is told magnificently, like in a chamber play. German cinema can be so wonderful.
Two fantastic actors (director, leading actor and GOLDEN GLOBE nominee Daniel Brühl and the congenial Peter Kurth) engage in a psychological duel that seems to have been taken from life, and tells a lot about problems that we are all exposed to in some way. The chamber play-like setting in a Berlin corner bar plays with the theater tradition common in German-speaking countries. What I particularly like, however, is that the staging elements of the genre film are included. The seemingly chance encounter between two neighbors develops into a thriller, a western and, ultimately, even briefly into an action film. And always with humor and seriousness at the same time. And with self-irony! What is being said here about the participation of a German acting star in one of the superhero films that are currently so successful is so delicious and enlightening. But don't worry: the people at Warner Brothers/DC Films also earn money here ;-)
Nevertheless, this German-language film proves again that cinema in this country is finally on the right track. You will never have the big budgets of American films here. That's why you need cleverness, playing with your own traditions and being close to your local audience in order to make successful and worth seeing films that can then also be viewed outside of German-speaking countries. "Next door" offers all of this. There are also beautiful pictures of the hustle and bustle of Berlin and an enchanting guest appearance by the Luxembourg world star Vicky Krieps.
Very good!
