Drifter *** (2023, Lorenz Hochhuth, Cino Djavid, Gustav Schmidt) – Classic Movie Review 12,810

The 2023 German drama film Drifter stars Lorenz Hochhuth as 22-year-old Moritz, who moves to Berlin to be with his boyfriend but is soon dumped by him, and starts a journey of self-discovery in the hedonistic big city party scene.

Co-writer/ director Hannes Hirsch’s 2023 German drama film Drifter stars Lorenz Hochhuth as the 22-year-old Moritz, who moves to Berlin to be with his boyfriend Jonas (Gustav Schmidt), but is soon dumped by him.

Now abandoned and alone and homeless in the uncaring, relentlessly hedonistic big city, Moritz starts a journey of self-discovery through a wide range of experiences in Berlin’s party scene. Soon acquiring a new circle of unusual friends, he sets out to develop his own ideas of sexuality and masculinity, leading him to establishing a clearer sense of self-identity, the film’s main theme.

It is more of a coming-to-terms than a coming-of-age film, as Moritz boldly faces the challenges of quite a brutal coming-to-terms with life, love, sex and relationships. At any rate, as someone points out to him in the film, he looks older and gayer.

Drifter is a frank, edgy, disturbing, harsh-toned slice-of-gay life film, unresolved and not specially uplifting or appealing, though nevertheless it is fairly engrossing and entertaining as it carefully involves you into its Drifter hero’s psyche and explores the Berlin setting and characters in detail. The first scene is a bit of an eye-opener, and the film starts as it means to go along, taking no hostages. There is plenty here to shock your maiden aunt.

There is some humour at the beginning but the film takes a dive into serious depths later, though the film drifts along and eventually drifts away – wisely – without delivering any conclusions, or messages, or judgements. It is fairly fast paced and quite a lot happens in its short 79 minutes. There is some strong and graphic gay sex. Lorenz Hochhuth is interesting company as Moritz. Berlin seems like a place on another planet.

It is Hannes Hirsch’s debut feature.

The film premiered as the closing film at the 37th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival on 25 March 2023 after its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Released: 2023-11-02.

Genre: Drama.

Cast: Lorenz Hochhuth, Gustav Schmidt, Rabea .Egg, Daniela Grubert, Cino Djavid, Oscar Hoppe.

Duration: 79 minutes. Country: Germany Production: Jost Hering Filmproduktion, Salzgeber & Co. Medien, Milieufilm.

Writers: Hannes Hirsch, River Matzk.

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 12,810

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