Von einem, der auszog, das Gruseln zu lernen: A strange, dusty trip

Is it worth your time?

If you have a thing for black-and-white folk tales that feel like they were filmed in someone's musty attic, you’ll dig this. If you need pacing that doesn't feel like it's trudging through thick mud, stay away. It’s definitely not for the popcorn-munching crowd. 👻

Ferdinand Diehl really carries the weight of this thing. He’s got that specific kind of stoic expression that makes you wonder if he’s thinking about the plot or just wondering when lunch is. There’s a scene where he’s sitting in a graveyard, and the lighting is so flat it looks like a cardboard cutout. Honestly, I kind of loved it.

The whole premise is just absurd. Who goes out specifically looking to get the creeps? It reminded me of the odd, disjointed energy you find in Betty Boop's Museum, where the logic of the world feels like it’s being made up five minutes before the camera rolls.

Some notes from my notepad:

• The silence in the middle of the film is heavy. Like, uncomfortably heavy.
• The sets feel like they could collapse if someone sneezed too hard.
• Why is everyone talking so slowly? It’s like they're afraid the words might escape if they say them too fast.

It’s nowhere near as kinetic as Hard Boiled, obviously. Don't go looking for gunfights. You're here for the dusty vibes and the weird, grim moralizing that only old German stories can pull off. It’s got a weirdly hollow core, but sometimes that’s exactly what you want on a rainy Tuesday.

There is a specific moment with a hanging bell that just lingers forever. It’s not even that scary, but the way the camera sticks to it, you start thinking maybe the bell is the main character. It’s bizarre. I’m still not sure if it was a technical limitation or a bold artistic choice. Probably the first one, but who cares?

It’s definitely a weird little artifact. Not something I’d watch twice, but I’m glad I sat through it once just to see how strange it could get. If you liked the odd, dreamlike drift of A Trip to Paradise, you’ll probably find something to enjoy here. Just don't expect it to make much sense.