Der Ammenkönig: A weird, dusty relic of a movie

Is this thing worth a watch?

Look, if you are the type of person who digs through archives just to see how weird movies got in the 1930s, then yeah, sure. You’ll have a ball with the absurdity of it all. If you are looking for something that makes sense or moves at a normal human pace, you should probably just watch Bombshell instead and call it a day.

The whole premise of Der Ammenkönig is built on a joke that feels like it’s been stretched way past its breaking point. It’s about a king who needs a wet nurse for his baby, but, you know, it’s a guy. The movie leans into this with a kind of frantic, desperate energy that makes me think the director was constantly shouting 'faster!' at the actors.

The dialogue is thick and moves fast, like it’s trying to hide the fact that the plot is basically just a series of rooms where people yell at each other. There is a moment where Theo Lingen does his classic bit, looking bewildered and fast-talking his way out of a corner, and it’s the only part that really lands. Everything else just feels like noise.

Oddly Specific Notes:

• The sets look like they were built out of cardboard and hope.
• Every time someone enters a room, they do it with this weird, exaggerated urgency.
• The costumes are heavy. You can practically see the actors sweating under all that velvet and lace.
• There is a scene near the middle that goes on for an eternity while two people argue about nothing in particular.

It’s not quite as charming as Stowaway, which at least has some heart to anchor the chaos. Here, the heart is missing. It feels like a mechanical exercise in being 'wacky' for an audience that doesn't exist anymore.

Sometimes the camera just sits there, completely still, while people walk in and out of frame like they are waiting for a bus. It’s jarring. It’s almost like the movie forgot it was supposed to be a story and just decided to be a recording of a chaotic afternoon.

I found myself wondering if anyone actually read the script all the way through before filming started. Some of the logic gaps are wide enough to drive a carriage through. But hey, it’s not trying to be The Man They Could Not Hang. It just wants to be a silly, weird, forgotten footnote. Mission accomplished, I guess? 🤷‍♂️

Don't expect a masterpiece. Expect a strange, dusty, slightly annoying time capsule. If you’re into that, go for it. Otherwise, maybe just skip it.