Drifter

Saw the film at the Melbourne Queer Film festival, and found it entertaining.

There is no message or in depth theme to this film, just fun as you get to watch the main character explore the Berlin queer world.

The first half of the film has a lot of humor and many in the cinema laughed loudly, but this drops off over the journey as the experience of our main character in the world his exploring become stronger.

There is a very good looking cast, adding a visual entertainment to the story and it makes a snap shot of what i from Australia can only assume is the pre-covid Berlin queer world.

If it is at a queer film festival near you, add it to your ticket list.

Drifter

We again had a reductive movie about gay men and the scene, this time in Berlin. They seemed to undertake a tick box of tropes, we had every form of drug taking fuelling sex parties. We had transitory relationships that constantly repeated introductory material, how old are you, what your name, what are you into, how old are you, believe me relationships moved beyond this.

Then we had the preoccupation that someone always wants to be in a relationship and they are worried about being alone, what rubbish!

We then had a series of Monday botched sex scenes that really in 2024 failed to titillate.

The story was vestigial the acting stiff there was little narrative flow. They really wasn't any story to speak of apart from some newbie coming to Berlin and experiencing everything for the first time.

I'm going to give this a firm 3 out of 10. I was bored senseless.

As a fellow film maker let me just say that I enjoyed the humor style and the quality of this film, it made me feel better. The party scenes were fun (made me feel wish i was younger) the acting was good and I was able to identify with some of the characters/not to speak of the locations as they revived old memories I still treasure from my brief tenure in berlin. The types Hannes uses are captivating stud boys with an edge, the sex scenes were erotic and well filmed and the lighting in parts almost seemed experimental but with a German director it is expected as in the tradition of German cinema. Thank you Mr. Hirsch Toby Ross.

Honestly there is nothing on this movie that was good and there also nothing that was bad, nothing really happens.

The characters are boring and even the main character is underdeveloped. It is simply a movie that you watch not really pay attention. I was "entertained" enough as Drifter was chosen to be at the New Farm Queer Film Festival which happens a few hundred meters from my house, otherwise I would never have picked Drifter.

Pros.

1. Berlin setting 2. Cute boys 3. The firs scene

Cons.

1. The film is very slow, it should have been a short 2. Underdevelopment of characters 3. There is not message.