It has been said for centuries that our homegrown filmmakers cannot deliver top-notch genre cinema. Thomas Sieben now presents his “Home Sweet Home – Where Evil Lives” to refute this prejudice. What makes the film particularly interesting is that it is a one-shot production. This means that the entire story is filmed in real time with just one camera and – unlike the trailer – is presented without cuts.
The Cologne-born director and screenwriter’s last works were the thrillers ‘Prey’ and ‘Kidnapping Stella’, both of which premiered successfully on Netflix. However, the author of these lines remembers ‘Dam’ most in connection with Sieben’s filmography.
The trailer for ‘Home Sweet Home’ appears significantly scarier and more exciting than the gripping psychological and character drama from 2013. However, in terms of intensity, the whole thing promises to reach a comparable, perhaps even higher level. You can see for yourself on the big screen whether this is actually the case early next year. “Home Sweet Home – Where Evil Lives” will premiere in German cinemas nationwide on January 25, 2024.
You can expect a numerically quite manageable, yet top acting ensemble. The lead role is played by Nilam Farooq, star of “Contra” and “Manta Manta – Second Part”. With her performance in ‘Heilstätten’, the Berlin native has already gained experience in the horror sector. Farooq’s character’s husband is played by David Kross from ‘Balloon’ and ‘The Reader’, one of the most internationally popular German mimes in years. Other roles include Justus von Dohnányi (“The Experiment”), Olga von Luckwald (“The Boss”) and Karl Schaper (“3 1/2 Hours”).
“Home Sweet Home” is the latest part of the FILMSTARTS series “German Cinema” to be released in January [doch] cool!”
At its world premiere at Frightfest in London, ‘Home Sweet Home’ received excellent reviews. We at FILMSTARTS have already seen “Home Sweet Home – Where Evil Lives” and are fully convinced of its qualities. That is why we – and therefore you too – participate in the ‘German Cinema is [doch] awesome!” Also take a closer look at the film.
Every month we select a local cinema production that has particularly excited, surprised and/or inspired us. So in January we will devote ourselves to this very impressive work and not just publish our usual detailed criticism of it. Plus, we’ll bring you other exciting content and specials like interviews and our own exclusive podcast episode. So be sure to keep your eyes and ears open!
“Home Sweet Home”: that’s the story
Maria (Farooq) and Viktor (Kross) are a happy, young couple, recently engaged and expecting their first child together. In order to enjoy this phase of their lives in peace, they decided to move to the old country house where Viktor spent his childhood and which recently stood empty for a long time.
But when the heavily pregnant Maria is alone in the remote building one evening, inexplicable things happen. While lawyer Viktor has to work longer at the office, Maria tries to get used to her new home. Somehow the old and rather remote building still sends chills down her spine.
At first she thinks that incidents such as a power outage or strange noises from the basement are coincidences. But she soon realizes that she and her unborn child are no longer safe there. When contractions begin and her car key suddenly disappears, the night becomes a nightmare for the young woman. Did Viktor and his father (von Dohnányi) keep anything from her about the history of the estate and her family?
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