Der Außenseiter: A quiet, dusty look at being left behind

Should you watch this?

If you're in the mood for something fast-paced or polished, skip this one. Honestly, Der Außenseiter is a slow burn that demands you settle in and stop checking your phone.

It’s perfect for people who like to watch character-driven stuff where nothing huge happens, but everything feels heavy. If you get bored by black-and-white films or people just talking in rooms, you'll probably hate it. It's not trying to be Cartouche, that's for sure.

The vibe

There's this specific kind of dusty, mid-century gloom here. It feels like the air in the room is always slightly too thick. Heinz Rühmann carries a lot of this on his shoulders, mostly by just looking like he hasn't slept in a week.

He isn't trying to be charming. He's just trying to exist without being bothered too much. Sometimes he succeeds, but mostly he just looks tired. I found myself thinking about Perfect Day while watching this, though the two films couldn't be more different in their energy.

Odd little notes

• The lighting in that one scene near the halfway point is bizarrely flat. Everyone looks like a cardboard cutout.
• Wait, did someone just forget to close the door in the background for three minutes? It’s distracting.
• The dialogue feels like it was written by someone who had never actually had a casual conversation in their life.
• Some of the extras in the café scenes look like they’re trying so hard not to laugh.

Final thoughts

The movie gets way better once the music finally cuts out. There’s a stretch of about ten minutes where it’s just silence and the sound of someone walking on floorboards, and it’s the most honest part of the whole thing. It’s not The Theft of the Mona Lisa in terms of craft, but it has a weird, stubborn soul.

Don't expect it to change your life. It’s just a snapshot of someone feeling like an outsider, and sometimes that's enough. 🎞️