Pictures: Netflix
What a year it has been for the biggest streamer in the world.
While the first half of the year was largely known for its widely seen star-studded critical failures, the second half of the year brought many successes. From a hit franchise blockbuster to multiple awards season contenders, Netflix’s year in films was turned around completely and may help them garner some hardware as we march towards the Oscars in March.
While this list may not represent the most-watched films of the year, I believe these to be the best Netflix had to offer over the past 12 months.
So, without further ado, here are my Top 5 Netflix Original Movies of 2023.
Please note that this author has not seen Best International Feature contender, Society of the Snow, as it will not be on Netflix until 1/4/24. This list will also not consider the Wes Anderson/Roald Dahl short...
What a year it has been for the biggest streamer in the world.
While the first half of the year was largely known for its widely seen star-studded critical failures, the second half of the year brought many successes. From a hit franchise blockbuster to multiple awards season contenders, Netflix’s year in films was turned around completely and may help them garner some hardware as we march towards the Oscars in March.
While this list may not represent the most-watched films of the year, I believe these to be the best Netflix had to offer over the past 12 months.
So, without further ado, here are my Top 5 Netflix Original Movies of 2023.
Please note that this author has not seen Best International Feature contender, Society of the Snow, as it will not be on Netflix until 1/4/24. This list will also not consider the Wes Anderson/Roald Dahl short...
- 12/29/2023
- by Andrew Morgan
- Whats-on-Netflix
World War films are always fascinating. There are still so many true stories to be told about the darkest period of European history. With each film, one gets to see the horrors that most of the European countries went through and the heinous treatment of the Jews throughout the continent. Blood & Gold, a German language Netflix Original, is a fiction story set when the war was reaching its conclusion. Directed by Peter Thorwarth, the movie is about a stock of gold bars that some people want to get their hands on. A company of the German army and a mayor, along with his accomplices, in a local town badly want this treasure. Will they get their hands on it?
The film begins with German army soldiers chasing Private Heinrich and wanting to get a hold of him. Once Heinrich is finally caught, he is sentenced to death by Lt.
The film begins with German army soldiers chasing Private Heinrich and wanting to get a hold of him. Once Heinrich is finally caught, he is sentenced to death by Lt.
- 5/26/2023
- by Smriti Kannan
- Film Fugitives
Blood & Gold is a movie directed by Peter Thorwarth starring Alexander Scheer, Robert Maaser and Florian Schmidtke.
Blood & Gold is a hilarious Pulp-style action movie.
Plot
A German soldier is looking for his daughter while some of Himmler’s SS boys are desperately looking for a treasure.
Blood & Gold (2023) Movie review
This movie is a great parody that not only tells a story, but also incorporates cinematic elements that make it interesting to watch. The film is well-balanced and attractive, and can only be criticized based on personal preferences. It’s a good movie that has intention, background, and form.
It’s not an action movie like Sisu, nor does it have a “comic book” style. Instead, it draws attention through metafiction and irony, which make the script reflexive and deep. The setting and photography are very good, and while it’s not a blockbuster, it’s magnificently lit.
Blood & Gold is a hilarious Pulp-style action movie.
Plot
A German soldier is looking for his daughter while some of Himmler’s SS boys are desperately looking for a treasure.
Blood & Gold (2023) Movie review
This movie is a great parody that not only tells a story, but also incorporates cinematic elements that make it interesting to watch. The film is well-balanced and attractive, and can only be criticized based on personal preferences. It’s a good movie that has intention, background, and form.
It’s not an action movie like Sisu, nor does it have a “comic book” style. Instead, it draws attention through metafiction and irony, which make the script reflexive and deep. The setting and photography are very good, and while it’s not a blockbuster, it’s magnificently lit.
- 5/26/2023
- by Veronica Loop
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
A deserting Nazi private and a local farmer’s daughter enact bloody revenge on plundering troops in this tightly-staged switch-your-brain-off entertainment
This Netflix-backed action-driven story is effectively a spaghetti western that just happens to unfold in Germany in the last days of the second world war. (A sauerkraut or currywurst western?) Director Peter Thorwarth strives for that same pulpy-elegiac blend that made the films by Sergios Leone and Corbucci, Franco Nero and all the rest so compelling and repellent, with their squelchy violence and operatic conflict. Per the title, there’s indeed a lot of blood.
It starts with Heinrich (Robert Maaser), a lowly private in a small platoon about to be hanged for desertion because he’s disgusted by his side’s actions and just wants to go home and find his kid. But, counter to the German stereotype of ruthless efficiency, the troops just drive off and...
This Netflix-backed action-driven story is effectively a spaghetti western that just happens to unfold in Germany in the last days of the second world war. (A sauerkraut or currywurst western?) Director Peter Thorwarth strives for that same pulpy-elegiac blend that made the films by Sergios Leone and Corbucci, Franco Nero and all the rest so compelling and repellent, with their squelchy violence and operatic conflict. Per the title, there’s indeed a lot of blood.
It starts with Heinrich (Robert Maaser), a lowly private in a small platoon about to be hanged for desertion because he’s disgusted by his side’s actions and just wants to go home and find his kid. But, counter to the German stereotype of ruthless efficiency, the troops just drive off and...
- 5/24/2023
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
We here at Arrow in the Head try to keep up with the horror selections on the biggest streaming services around, and as part of that endeavor, we have gone through the horror options on Netflix US to put together a top 10 list of the Best Horror Movies On Netflix Right Now.
Take note of the “Right Now” part of the subject line, because some of these films are not Netflix Originals and therefore could be removed from the streaming service at any time. If you want to watch them, be sure to start streaming in a timely manner or they may be gone!
Blood Red Sky (2021)
The “vampire vs. airplane hijackers” horror action thriller Blood Red Sky is a project director Peter Thorwarth had been wanting to make for 16 years before it was finally released, and his dedication to the concept paid off: within a month of its Netflix debut,...
Take note of the “Right Now” part of the subject line, because some of these films are not Netflix Originals and therefore could be removed from the streaming service at any time. If you want to watch them, be sure to start streaming in a timely manner or they may be gone!
Blood Red Sky (2021)
The “vampire vs. airplane hijackers” horror action thriller Blood Red Sky is a project director Peter Thorwarth had been wanting to make for 16 years before it was finally released, and his dedication to the concept paid off: within a month of its Netflix debut,...
- 5/13/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Netflix is getting into the "let's kill Nazis violently" sub-genre of World War II films with the upcoming "Blood & Gold." This movie may not be on your radar just yet, but it seems like the kind of title that is destined to build up some buzz once it arrives on the streaming service next month. To that end, a new trailer for the German war flick has been released online that offers an extremely fun look at what promises to be a murder-heavy tale of revenge.
What's particularly entertaining about this "special trailer" is that it gives the film an old-school, grindhouse makeover that gives us a little bit of a Quentin Tarantino flavor, with "Inglorious Basterds" being the obvious touchstone. But it feels more at home with the fake trailers that were attached to 2007's "Grindhouse," even though this is a very real movie that you can watch in just a few weeks.
What's particularly entertaining about this "special trailer" is that it gives the film an old-school, grindhouse makeover that gives us a little bit of a Quentin Tarantino flavor, with "Inglorious Basterds" being the obvious touchstone. But it feels more at home with the fake trailers that were attached to 2007's "Grindhouse," even though this is a very real movie that you can watch in just a few weeks.
- 4/28/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Film ranks number four on the list of the most popular non-English language films on the platform.
Edward Berger’s German-language All Quiet On The Western Front has been a phenomenon for Netflix since being launched last autumn. It ranks number four on the list of the most popular non-English language films on the platform and has been in the streamer’s own top 10 in over 91 countries including Germany, UK, US, Australia, France, Mexico, and South Korea.
Thanks to the success, Sasha Buhler, director, international original film, at Netflix. has a lot of travelling to do in the next few days.
Edward Berger’s German-language All Quiet On The Western Front has been a phenomenon for Netflix since being launched last autumn. It ranks number four on the list of the most popular non-English language films on the platform and has been in the streamer’s own top 10 in over 91 countries including Germany, UK, US, Australia, France, Mexico, and South Korea.
Thanks to the success, Sasha Buhler, director, international original film, at Netflix. has a lot of travelling to do in the next few days.
- 2/19/2023
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Just two weeks after premiering on Dec. 1, Norwegian action-adventure “Troll” has become Netflix’s most popular non-English film.
With a total of 128 million hours viewed and still counting, the film has taken the top spot on the non-English Netflix Top 10. It is in the Top 10 in 93 countries including Norway, France, Germany, the U.S., the U.K., Japan, South Korea, Brazil and Mexico.
In the film, a Norwegian addition to the ever-popular kaiju genre, deep inside the mountain of Dovre, Norway, something gigantic awakens after being trapped for a thousand years. Destroying everything in its path, the creature is fast approaching the capital of Norway, with city-dwellers struggling to stop something they thought existed only in Norwegian folklore.
The film is by “Tomb Raider” director Roar Uthaug. It is produced by Espen Horn and Kristian Strand Sinkerud from Motion Blur, the production company behind Norwegian Netflix film “Cadaver.” It stars Ine Marie Wilmann,...
With a total of 128 million hours viewed and still counting, the film has taken the top spot on the non-English Netflix Top 10. It is in the Top 10 in 93 countries including Norway, France, Germany, the U.S., the U.K., Japan, South Korea, Brazil and Mexico.
In the film, a Norwegian addition to the ever-popular kaiju genre, deep inside the mountain of Dovre, Norway, something gigantic awakens after being trapped for a thousand years. Destroying everything in its path, the creature is fast approaching the capital of Norway, with city-dwellers struggling to stop something they thought existed only in Norwegian folklore.
The film is by “Tomb Raider” director Roar Uthaug. It is produced by Espen Horn and Kristian Strand Sinkerud from Motion Blur, the production company behind Norwegian Netflix film “Cadaver.” It stars Ine Marie Wilmann,...
- 12/14/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
A total of 19 features and series were showcased.
Netflix has unveiled 19 upcoming films and series from Germany, Austria and Switzerland as it works to strengthen its slate of German-language productions.
The projects are part of the streaming giant’s push into local content, doubling investment to €500m between 2021 and 2023. Five films, nine series and five non-fiction titles were showcased at the streamer’s Content Remote Show this morning, offering a preview of the year ahead.
The films include the previously announced All Quiet On The Western Front, directed by Edward Berger and starring Daniel Bruhl, and Buba, a spin-off from...
Netflix has unveiled 19 upcoming films and series from Germany, Austria and Switzerland as it works to strengthen its slate of German-language productions.
The projects are part of the streaming giant’s push into local content, doubling investment to €500m between 2021 and 2023. Five films, nine series and five non-fiction titles were showcased at the streamer’s Content Remote Show this morning, offering a preview of the year ahead.
The films include the previously announced All Quiet On The Western Front, directed by Edward Berger and starring Daniel Bruhl, and Buba, a spin-off from...
- 2/8/2022
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Netflix has doubled its budget to €500 million ($571 million) for German-language productions between 2021 and 2023 and has revealed a raft of new projects.
On Tuesday, the Netflix German-language team presented a selection of 19 productions, including previously announced projects, at the Content Remote Show. The shows are from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
New series include eight-parter “Achtsam Morden” (working title), based on the book of the same name by Karsten Dusse, which topped the Spiegel bestseller list for over nine months and is now being filmed for Netflix by Constantin Film, Jan Ehlert and Nina Viktoria Philipp. Writers Miriam Rechel and Chris Geletneky tell the story of top lawyer Björn Diemel, who to save his marriage, finds a new work-life balance with the help of a mindfulness seminar and accidentally becomes a murderer in the process.
Another book adaptation, also produced by Constantin Television, is thriller series “Liebes Kind” (working title). Based on the novel by Romy Hausmann,...
On Tuesday, the Netflix German-language team presented a selection of 19 productions, including previously announced projects, at the Content Remote Show. The shows are from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
New series include eight-parter “Achtsam Morden” (working title), based on the book of the same name by Karsten Dusse, which topped the Spiegel bestseller list for over nine months and is now being filmed for Netflix by Constantin Film, Jan Ehlert and Nina Viktoria Philipp. Writers Miriam Rechel and Chris Geletneky tell the story of top lawyer Björn Diemel, who to save his marriage, finds a new work-life balance with the help of a mindfulness seminar and accidentally becomes a murderer in the process.
Another book adaptation, also produced by Constantin Television, is thriller series “Liebes Kind” (working title). Based on the novel by Romy Hausmann,...
- 2/8/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Blood Red Sky"
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix
The Pitch: You like Bram Stoker's "Dracula?" This is the Demeter's final voyage, on a plane, with terrorists. Simple as. Formerly titled "Transatlantic 473," this taut British-German horror film pairs director Peter Thorwarth with his frequent collaborator, screenwriter Stefan Holtz (the pair co-wrote the screenplay), to craft the most successful German film on Netflix to date.
The story goes that...
The post The Daily Stream: Blood Red Sky Has The Best Loose Cannon Baddie Of 2021 appeared first on /Film.
The Movie: "Blood Red Sky"
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix
The Pitch: You like Bram Stoker's "Dracula?" This is the Demeter's final voyage, on a plane, with terrorists. Simple as. Formerly titled "Transatlantic 473," this taut British-German horror film pairs director Peter Thorwarth with his frequent collaborator, screenwriter Stefan Holtz (the pair co-wrote the screenplay), to craft the most successful German film on Netflix to date.
The story goes that...
The post The Daily Stream: Blood Red Sky Has The Best Loose Cannon Baddie Of 2021 appeared first on /Film.
- 12/12/2021
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
The new vampire action thriller "Blood Red Sky" directed by Peter Thorwarth, starring Peri Baumeister and Dominic Purcell, about a vampire trying to stop a group of plane hijackers, is projected to surpass 50 million household streams by the time it reaches 28 days on Netflix, so far reaching the number one spot in 57 countries including the US:
"...'Nadja' and her ten-year-old son are on an overnight flight from Germany to New York when a group of terrorists violently take control of the plane and threaten the lives of the passengers. Suddenly Nadja faces an impossible choice - should she reveal her dark side and the inner monster she has kept hidden from her son for years in order to save him? Now the hunters become the hunted..."
Click the images to enlarge...
"...'Nadja' and her ten-year-old son are on an overnight flight from Germany to New York when a group of terrorists violently take control of the plane and threaten the lives of the passengers. Suddenly Nadja faces an impossible choice - should she reveal her dark side and the inner monster she has kept hidden from her son for years in order to save him? Now the hunters become the hunted..."
Click the images to enlarge...
- 8/13/2021
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Exclusive: Blood Red Sky is set to be Netflix’s most successful German content to date, film or TV, with more than 50 million households around the world projected to watch the film by next week. That surpasses the historical series Barbarians, which previously held the record.
The plane hijacking / vampire film only released on July 23 and will reach the benchmark within its its first 28 days on the platform.
In addition to its global audience figures – which saw an average of 90% of viewers watch the entire two-hour runtime – the film has also reached the top 10 in 93 countries, hitting the number one spot in 57 including the U.S., Brazil, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines. It has actually been more of an international hit than a German one, having only reached no.2 in its native country, though notably the film is primarily in English, with portions in German.
Deadline sat down with director...
The plane hijacking / vampire film only released on July 23 and will reach the benchmark within its its first 28 days on the platform.
In addition to its global audience figures – which saw an average of 90% of viewers watch the entire two-hour runtime – the film has also reached the top 10 in 93 countries, hitting the number one spot in 57 including the U.S., Brazil, Saudi Arabia and the Philippines. It has actually been more of an international hit than a German one, having only reached no.2 in its native country, though notably the film is primarily in English, with portions in German.
Deadline sat down with director...
- 8/11/2021
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
The studio pitch and mile-high concept of “Blood Red Sky”— “it’s ‘Snakes on a Plane’ with vampires, and a terrorist hijacking!”—is intriguing, potentially twistedly funny, and surely enough for Netflix to gamble on. Sadly, for filmmaker Peter Thorwarth, “Blood Red Sky” cannot live up to its core idea, not in a way that amplifies its outrageously wacky premise, nor in a way that makes it even a mildly entertaining watch.
Continue reading ‘Blood Red Sky’: Netflix’s Vampires On A Plane Premise Is Good, The Movie Sucks [Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Blood Red Sky’: Netflix’s Vampires On A Plane Premise Is Good, The Movie Sucks [Review] at The Playlist.
- 7/24/2021
- by Asher Luberto
- The Playlist
Coming to Netflix on July 23rd is Blood Red Sky, a compelling horror / thriller set on a passenger plane with some incredible performances and practical makeup effects! I recently had the opportunity to speak with director and co-written by Peter Thorwarth, who told me about the origins of this project, working with Peri Baumeister, and bringing the movie's vampire to life:
I wanted to start by learning more about the origins of this project. What sparked this idea for a horror movie set on a passenger flight?
It started when I was sitting on a transatlantic night flight. I was staring out the window and was thinking, "Okay, if I were a vampire, I’d have to organize myself, and take a night flight. When this gets hijacked, and the hijackers turn the plane around and fly backwards towards the rising sun, I have a problem."
Then I started thinking,...
I wanted to start by learning more about the origins of this project. What sparked this idea for a horror movie set on a passenger flight?
It started when I was sitting on a transatlantic night flight. I was staring out the window and was thinking, "Okay, if I were a vampire, I’d have to organize myself, and take a night flight. When this gets hijacked, and the hijackers turn the plane around and fly backwards towards the rising sun, I have a problem."
Then I started thinking,...
- 7/22/2021
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
In the new Netflix film from director/co-writer Peter Thorwarth, Blood Red Sky, two things become eminently clear early on: there are a hijackers onboard a red eye flight from Germany to America; and there’s a vampire, Nadja (Peri Baumeister), amongst the passengers as well. And the only things keeping her from feasting on those around […]
The post ‘Blood Red Sky’ Director Peter Thorwarth on Putting a Vampire on an Airplane [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Blood Red Sky’ Director Peter Thorwarth on Putting a Vampire on an Airplane [Interview] appeared first on /Film.
- 7/22/2021
- by Steven Prokopy
- Slash Film
In the grand tradition of “Deep Rising” and “From Dusk Till Dawn,” Peter Thorwarth’s “Blood Red Sky” is a hijacking thriller that — at just the right moment — is suddenly hijacked itself, as the bad guys realize that they’re in a very different movie than the one for which they signed up. Except that “Blood Red Sky” doesn’t find just the right moment; this undercooked, overlong piece of genre-blurring German schlock hardly even seems to look for it. On the contrary, this midsummer Netflix release drops its big twist with all the panache of an incidental detail, one that requires too much backstory and offers too little excitement in return. And so what could’ve been a fun chimera that someone Frankensteined together from two wildly different films instead becomes
“Blood Red Sky” is an emergency mode from the minute it starts; we know that something went screwy...
“Blood Red Sky” is an emergency mode from the minute it starts; we know that something went screwy...
- 7/20/2021
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Blood Red Sky Trailer 2 — Netflix has released the second movie trailer for Blood Red Sky (2021). View her the first Blood Red Sky trailer. Cast and crew Peter Thorwarth‘s Blood Red Sky stars Peri Baumeister, Roland Moller, Dominic Purcell, Chidi Ajufo, Alexander Scheer, Graham McTavish, Sinead Phelps, Rebecca Dyson-Smith, Jim High, Leonie Brill, [...]
Continue reading: Blood Red Sky (2021) Movie Trailer 2: A Vampire is Trapped on a Transatlantic Flight During a Hijacking...
Continue reading: Blood Red Sky (2021) Movie Trailer 2: A Vampire is Trapped on a Transatlantic Flight During a Hijacking...
- 6/30/2021
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Coming to Netflix on July 23rd, we have the brand new trailer for Blood Red Sky!
"Nadja and her ten-year-old son are on an overnight flight from Germany to New York when a group of terrorists violently take control of the plane and threaten the lives of the passengers. But the terrorists have no idea what they’re in for with Nadja on board – she has the power to protect her son and all the other passengers. But she faces an impossible choice - should she reveal her dark side and the inner monster she has kept hidden from her son for years in order to save him? The hunters become the hunted and everyone on the plane finds themselves in a perilous race against time – a fight for survival because there is one thing nobody knows: Nadja is the last vampire."
Directed by Peter Thorwarth, written by Peter Thorwarth and Stefan Holtz,...
"Nadja and her ten-year-old son are on an overnight flight from Germany to New York when a group of terrorists violently take control of the plane and threaten the lives of the passengers. But the terrorists have no idea what they’re in for with Nadja on board – she has the power to protect her son and all the other passengers. But she faces an impossible choice - should she reveal her dark side and the inner monster she has kept hidden from her son for years in order to save him? The hunters become the hunted and everyone on the plane finds themselves in a perilous race against time – a fight for survival because there is one thing nobody knows: Nadja is the last vampire."
Directed by Peter Thorwarth, written by Peter Thorwarth and Stefan Holtz,...
- 6/29/2021
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
"Evil is within you. You can't control it." Netflix has debuted the full-length official trailer for the German horror thriller Blood Red Sky, which is pretty much Vampire(s) on a Plane (instead of Snakes). A woman with a mysterious illness is forced into action when a group of terrorists attempt to hijack a transatlantic overnight flight. To protect her son she will have to reveal her dark secret, and unleash the inner vampire monster she has fought to hide. The big twist is that she is the "good guy", sort of, not the big bad vampire - it's hijackers versus her. Which is seriously a killer concept. Starring Peri Baumeister as Nadja, joined by Kais Setti, Alexander Scheer, Dominic Purcell, Graham McTavish, Roland Møller, Chidi Ajufo. This looks like wicked cool vampire entertainment, but not sure it's going to be that memorable by the end. Here's the full-length trailer...
- 6/29/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
When a group of terrorists hijacks an overnight transatlantic flight, a mysteriously ill woman must unleash a monstrous secret to protect her young son. How is that for a premise? And well, that quickly transforms into what is essentially, vampires on a plane. Directed by Peter Thorwarth and starring Peri Baumeister, Roland Møller, and Dominic Purcell, “Blood Red Sky” is a German action suspense horror film coming to Netflix soon.
Continue reading ‘Blood Red Sky’ Trailer: Vampires Terrorize A Plane at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Blood Red Sky’ Trailer: Vampires Terrorize A Plane at The Playlist.
- 6/29/2021
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Blood Red Sky Trailer — Peter Thorwarth‘s Blood Red Sky (2021) teaser trailer has been released by Netflix. The Blood Red Sky trailer stars Peri Baumeister, Roland Moller, Dominic Purcell, Chidi Ajufo, Alexander Scheer, Graham McTavish, Sinead Phelps, Rebecca Dyson-Smith, Jim High, Leonie Brill, Roy McCrerey, Kais Setti, Kai Ivo Baulitz, and Jamie [...]
Continue reading: Blood Red Sky (2021) Teaser Trailer: Hijackers Capture a Plane with a Vampire On-board in Peter Thorwarth’s Horror Movie...
Continue reading: Blood Red Sky (2021) Teaser Trailer: Hijackers Capture a Plane with a Vampire On-board in Peter Thorwarth’s Horror Movie...
- 6/11/2021
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
You all remember that time when Samuel L. Jackson fought a pit of snakes at 30,000 feet for 2006's Snakes on a Plane? Well, a group of terrorists is about to find out what happens when you hijack a plane that's ferrying a frightened vampire in disguise across the clouds in Netflix's Blood Red Sky. Directed by Peter Thorwarth,…...
- 6/7/2021
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
"You have to look after my son." Netflix has revealed the first teaser trailer for a new horror thriller titled Blood Red Sky, pretty much Vampire(s) on a Plane (instead of Snakes). The twist is that the protagonist in here is the vampire, not the bad guy this time around. A woman with a mysterious illness is forced into action when a group of terrorists attempt to hijack a transatlantic overnight flight. To protect her son she will have to reveal a dark secret, and unleash the inner vampire monster she has fought to hide. Starring Peri Baumeister as Nadja; she's joined by Kais Setti, Alexander Scheer, Dominic Purcell, Graham McTavish, Roland Møller, and Chidi Ajufo. This is a good teaser - setting up the stakes and not giving away too much. But from the looks of it, this is either going to be terrible or extra gnarly. Check it out below.
- 6/7/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Family adventure led the German box office before its run was cut short by cinema closures.
Family adventure Jim Button And The Wild 13 is to be re-released by Warner Bros when cinemas in Germany re-open.
The $24m German feature led the local box office when it opened on October 1 and grossed $6.88m over five weeks, before theatres were closed on November 2 as part of a nationwide lockdown that remains in place.
Sales agency Global Screen, part of Will Smith and Elysian Fields’s Telepool, picked up global distribution rights to the film ahead of the European Film Market (EFM...
Family adventure Jim Button And The Wild 13 is to be re-released by Warner Bros when cinemas in Germany re-open.
The $24m German feature led the local box office when it opened on October 1 and grossed $6.88m over five weeks, before theatres were closed on November 2 as part of a nationwide lockdown that remains in place.
Sales agency Global Screen, part of Will Smith and Elysian Fields’s Telepool, picked up global distribution rights to the film ahead of the European Film Market (EFM...
- 3/4/2021
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
Czech shoots, which have been robust in recent years as a steady stream of series decamps to Barrandov’s soundstages, were suspended over virus concerns this spring, but are expected to rebound, says the Czech Film Commission’s Pavlina Zipkova.
With the government beginning to ease lockdown restrictions, theaters opened May 1 — and the Czech Cinematography Fund adding flexibility for projects claiming incentive rebates while the Culture Ministry works on increasing the fund — she says: “Most of the affected productions we are hoping will come back. Everything is in negotiations.”
The two most affected major productions, the second season of Amazon’s “Carnival Row” and the first season of Amazon/Sony Pictures Television series “Wheel of Time,” starring Rosamund Pike, have both committed to resuming, Zipkova adds.
Netflix’s “Transatlantic 473,” the Peter Thorwarth-directed story of a hijacking with a supernatural twist co-written by Stefan Holz, is also expected to resume its Czech shoot,...
With the government beginning to ease lockdown restrictions, theaters opened May 1 — and the Czech Cinematography Fund adding flexibility for projects claiming incentive rebates while the Culture Ministry works on increasing the fund — she says: “Most of the affected productions we are hoping will come back. Everything is in negotiations.”
The two most affected major productions, the second season of Amazon’s “Carnival Row” and the first season of Amazon/Sony Pictures Television series “Wheel of Time,” starring Rosamund Pike, have both committed to resuming, Zipkova adds.
Netflix’s “Transatlantic 473,” the Peter Thorwarth-directed story of a hijacking with a supernatural twist co-written by Stefan Holz, is also expected to resume its Czech shoot,...
- 5/7/2020
- by Will Tizard
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix’s international film VP David Kosse has unveiled a slate of non-English-language movies that will head into production in 2020.
The former STXinternational topper’s projects span French, German and Italian-language projects, and include feature adaptations of Robert Harris’ novel “Munich” and Hanna Jameson’s “The Last.”
Out of France, “Bigbug” follows a group of bickering suburbanites who find themselves stuck together when an android uprising causes their well intentioned household robots to lock them in for their own safety. Oscar-nominated helmer Jean-Pierre Jeunet (“Amélie”) directs. Guillaume Laurant and Jean-Pierre Jeunet are writing and Eskwad’s Richard Grandpierre and Frédéric Doniguian are producing.
German and English-language “Transatlantic 473” will be directed by Peter Thorwarth (“The Last Cop”). He co-writes with Stefan Holz and the plot turns on a hijacking with a supernatural twist.
“Munich” will also be in German and English. Ben Power is adapting the book, which is set in pre-Second World War Europe.
The former STXinternational topper’s projects span French, German and Italian-language projects, and include feature adaptations of Robert Harris’ novel “Munich” and Hanna Jameson’s “The Last.”
Out of France, “Bigbug” follows a group of bickering suburbanites who find themselves stuck together when an android uprising causes their well intentioned household robots to lock them in for their own safety. Oscar-nominated helmer Jean-Pierre Jeunet (“Amélie”) directs. Guillaume Laurant and Jean-Pierre Jeunet are writing and Eskwad’s Richard Grandpierre and Frédéric Doniguian are producing.
German and English-language “Transatlantic 473” will be directed by Peter Thorwarth (“The Last Cop”). He co-writes with Stefan Holz and the plot turns on a hijacking with a supernatural twist.
“Munich” will also be in German and English. Ben Power is adapting the book, which is set in pre-Second World War Europe.
- 12/20/2019
- by Stewart Clarke
- Variety Film + TV
Well, hello there!While it seems like well nigh everyone has got a proof of concept reel floating around for the film they want to make - many of which mostly provide arguments about why they shouldn't - the simple fact is that if you've got a good idea and the skills to pull it off there's nothing at all that makes a more convincing argument.Cue up German helmer Peter Thorwarth (Bang Boom Bang, also the writer of Dannis Gansel's The Wave) and his proposed feature Blood Red Sky. Picture, if you will, Die Hard on a plane with vampires and I think you'll agree that this is a concept that could go somewhere. Then throw in this just released proof of concept reel produced by...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/12/2015
- Screen Anarchy
Cologne, Germany -- Twentieth Century Fox International Pictures (Fip) has picked former Studio Babelsberg boss Gabriela Bacher to run its new German production division.
Bacher, who briefly ran Babelsberg back in 2002, operates a consulting firm, Primary Pictures, which has often advised Fox in the past.
Bacher has a number of German projects in development, among them an adaptation of Robin Wasserman's teen thriller trilogy "Chasing Yesterday," about a girl who wakes up in a hospital with no idea who she is or how she got there.
Genre experts Peter Thorwarth and Stefan Holtz ("Bang Boom Bang") are co-writing a script that moves the action of the novels to modern-day Berlin. Thorwarth is in negotiations to direct.
Fox is also planning the simultaneous production of seven foreign-language remakes of wine tasting buddy movie "Sideways," with adaptations for Germany, Russia, Japan, India, Korea, Spain and Brazil.
Fip's German division also plans to...
Bacher, who briefly ran Babelsberg back in 2002, operates a consulting firm, Primary Pictures, which has often advised Fox in the past.
Bacher has a number of German projects in development, among them an adaptation of Robin Wasserman's teen thriller trilogy "Chasing Yesterday," about a girl who wakes up in a hospital with no idea who she is or how she got there.
Genre experts Peter Thorwarth and Stefan Holtz ("Bang Boom Bang") are co-writing a script that moves the action of the novels to modern-day Berlin. Thorwarth is in negotiations to direct.
Fox is also planning the simultaneous production of seven foreign-language remakes of wine tasting buddy movie "Sideways," with adaptations for Germany, Russia, Japan, India, Korea, Spain and Brazil.
Fip's German division also plans to...
- 6/25/2009
- by By Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sundance Film Festival
PARK CITY -- Based on a real event from a California high school in 1967 and transposed to Germany today, The Wave is a cautionary tale about the roots of fascism. Seductive and horrifying at the same time, it suggests that anything is possible in today's unstable environment.
An assured piece of filmmaking by Dennis Gansel, Wave captures the intoxicating power of conformity. Handled properly, it should generate controversy, leading to decent indie business. But this is a story ripe for an American remake.
The film opens with a rush of energy and doesn't let up. Charismatic teacher Rainier Wegner (Jurgen Vogel) is driving to school with the Ramones' "Rock 'n' Roll High School" blasting in his car as the camera gazes at the calm life of the city passing outside. It's not going to last long.
This is Project Week at school, and though Wegner, an aging radical with unconventional teaching methods, is disappointed he doesn't get to teach the class on anarchy, he dives headfirst into the preparing for his class on autocracy. It's a hard sell to the indifferent students and as one puts it, "What is there left to be against? All we want is to have fun."
What follows is a textbook study of how fascism starts and takes hold. When Wegner asks if a dictatorship like Hitler's would be possible in Germany today, the students either say no or don't care.
But Wegner gets an idea for an experiment.
So the class elects him as leader and in contrast to his usual easygoing style he demands that students call him Mr. Wegner and stand when they have something to say. The motto for the day is "strength through discipline."
Once he's got the students' attention, things escalate within a week. Fascism has traditionally taken hold among an underprivileged, alienated population, and who is more alienated than high school students? They like the idea of dressing the same to reduce social pressures and they start wearing white shirts. They name the group the Wave and create a logo and secret handshake reminiscent of a Nazi salute.
Much to their surprise, and Wegner's, they find that they like the power of unity and soon this newfound discipline spills over to other school activities, and newcomers join the group. One student, Karo (Jennifer Ulrich) resists the rising conformity, but even her boyfriend, Marco (Max Riemelt), is smitten.
The Wave gives kids something to believe in for a change and some of the initial ideas about social equality and the will of the people are appealing, until they go too far. As in the rise of the Nazis, unstable and disturbed individuals latch on and feel powerful for the first time, and the most damaged become the lieutenants. That's what happens to Tim (Fredrick Lau), a disturbed, skittish student who no longer feels like an outsider.
But when the insiders start bullying other students and violence erupts outside school, Wegner realizes things might have gone too far. The genius of the screenplay by Gansel and Peter Thorwarth is that they recognize Wegner's psychology and mixed feelings. His wife, Anke (Christiane Paul), who also teaches at the school, holds him accountable, and he admits he loves being idolized.
Vogel is particularly brilliant in the film's climactic scene as his agreeable face hardens and contorts into a scowl as he becomes the dictator he feared. The cast of kids, especially Ulrich as the dissenter and Lau as the most vulnerable, are convincing enough to command the belief that they really are high school students.
Gansel is obviously dealing with complex issues here and he does so with first class filmmaking. A pounding score of rock songs and music by Heiko Maile adds to the combustible mix and cinematography by Torsten Breuer captures the action, including some aggressive water polo matches, with a combination of outstanding hand-held and slow-motion camera work.
Although the original Third Wave experiment in a Palo Alto high school did not end this way in 1967, Gansel has updated the climax to what could and has happened in schools today. There is something additionally chilling about seeing it take place in Germany. But as the film makes abundantly clear, the roots of fascism grow everywhere.
THE WAVE
A Constantin Film presentation, Christian Becker production, Rat Pack Filmproduktion production
Credits:
Director: Dennis Gansel
Screenwriters: Dennis Gansel, Peter Thorwarth
Based on a short story by: William Ron Jones
Producers: Christian Becker, Nina Maag
Director of cinematography: Torsten Breuer
Production designer: Knut Loewe
Music: Heiko Maile
Costume designer: Ivana Milos
Editor: Ueli Christen
Cast:
Rainer Wegner: Jurgen Vogel
Tim: Frederick Lau
Marco: Max Riemelt
Karo: Jennifer Ulrich
Anke Wegner: Christiane Paul
Lisa: Cristina do Rego
Dennis: Jacob Matschentz
Sinan: Elyas M'Barek
Bomber: Maximillian Vollmer
Kevin: Maximillian Mauff
Running time -- 101 minutes
No MPAA rating...
PARK CITY -- Based on a real event from a California high school in 1967 and transposed to Germany today, The Wave is a cautionary tale about the roots of fascism. Seductive and horrifying at the same time, it suggests that anything is possible in today's unstable environment.
An assured piece of filmmaking by Dennis Gansel, Wave captures the intoxicating power of conformity. Handled properly, it should generate controversy, leading to decent indie business. But this is a story ripe for an American remake.
The film opens with a rush of energy and doesn't let up. Charismatic teacher Rainier Wegner (Jurgen Vogel) is driving to school with the Ramones' "Rock 'n' Roll High School" blasting in his car as the camera gazes at the calm life of the city passing outside. It's not going to last long.
This is Project Week at school, and though Wegner, an aging radical with unconventional teaching methods, is disappointed he doesn't get to teach the class on anarchy, he dives headfirst into the preparing for his class on autocracy. It's a hard sell to the indifferent students and as one puts it, "What is there left to be against? All we want is to have fun."
What follows is a textbook study of how fascism starts and takes hold. When Wegner asks if a dictatorship like Hitler's would be possible in Germany today, the students either say no or don't care.
But Wegner gets an idea for an experiment.
So the class elects him as leader and in contrast to his usual easygoing style he demands that students call him Mr. Wegner and stand when they have something to say. The motto for the day is "strength through discipline."
Once he's got the students' attention, things escalate within a week. Fascism has traditionally taken hold among an underprivileged, alienated population, and who is more alienated than high school students? They like the idea of dressing the same to reduce social pressures and they start wearing white shirts. They name the group the Wave and create a logo and secret handshake reminiscent of a Nazi salute.
Much to their surprise, and Wegner's, they find that they like the power of unity and soon this newfound discipline spills over to other school activities, and newcomers join the group. One student, Karo (Jennifer Ulrich) resists the rising conformity, but even her boyfriend, Marco (Max Riemelt), is smitten.
The Wave gives kids something to believe in for a change and some of the initial ideas about social equality and the will of the people are appealing, until they go too far. As in the rise of the Nazis, unstable and disturbed individuals latch on and feel powerful for the first time, and the most damaged become the lieutenants. That's what happens to Tim (Fredrick Lau), a disturbed, skittish student who no longer feels like an outsider.
But when the insiders start bullying other students and violence erupts outside school, Wegner realizes things might have gone too far. The genius of the screenplay by Gansel and Peter Thorwarth is that they recognize Wegner's psychology and mixed feelings. His wife, Anke (Christiane Paul), who also teaches at the school, holds him accountable, and he admits he loves being idolized.
Vogel is particularly brilliant in the film's climactic scene as his agreeable face hardens and contorts into a scowl as he becomes the dictator he feared. The cast of kids, especially Ulrich as the dissenter and Lau as the most vulnerable, are convincing enough to command the belief that they really are high school students.
Gansel is obviously dealing with complex issues here and he does so with first class filmmaking. A pounding score of rock songs and music by Heiko Maile adds to the combustible mix and cinematography by Torsten Breuer captures the action, including some aggressive water polo matches, with a combination of outstanding hand-held and slow-motion camera work.
Although the original Third Wave experiment in a Palo Alto high school did not end this way in 1967, Gansel has updated the climax to what could and has happened in schools today. There is something additionally chilling about seeing it take place in Germany. But as the film makes abundantly clear, the roots of fascism grow everywhere.
THE WAVE
A Constantin Film presentation, Christian Becker production, Rat Pack Filmproduktion production
Credits:
Director: Dennis Gansel
Screenwriters: Dennis Gansel, Peter Thorwarth
Based on a short story by: William Ron Jones
Producers: Christian Becker, Nina Maag
Director of cinematography: Torsten Breuer
Production designer: Knut Loewe
Music: Heiko Maile
Costume designer: Ivana Milos
Editor: Ueli Christen
Cast:
Rainer Wegner: Jurgen Vogel
Tim: Frederick Lau
Marco: Max Riemelt
Karo: Jennifer Ulrich
Anke Wegner: Christiane Paul
Lisa: Cristina do Rego
Dennis: Jacob Matschentz
Sinan: Elyas M'Barek
Bomber: Maximillian Vollmer
Kevin: Maximillian Mauff
Running time -- 101 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 1/30/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
- There were 983 submissions from 15 countries in this category and apart from a couple of names, I know not one of the final selections below. World Cinema Dramatic Competition"Absurdistan" (Germany), directed by Veit Helmer, written by Helmer, Zaza Buadze, Gordan Mihic and Ahmet Golbol, about a sex strike by village women that threatens a young couple's first night together."Blue Eyelids" (Mexico), directed by Ernesto Contreras, about the ramifications of a single woman's winning of a beach trip for two."Captain Abu Raed" (Jordan), directed and written by Amin Matalqa, concerning an aging airport janitor who relates tall tales to local kids who think he's a pilot."The Drummer" (Hong Kong), directed and written by Kenneth Bi, the story of a young man who matures from reckless gangster to serious grownup due to the influence of Zen drumming."Elite Squad" (Brazil), directed by Jose Padilha ("Bus 174") and written by Braulio Mantovani and Padilha,
- 11/28/2007
- IONCINEMA.com
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