Moritz (Lorenz Hochhuth) moves to Berlin to be with his boyfriend Jonas (Gustav Schmidt). Their relationship deteriorates quickly, leading Jonas to ask Moritz for some time apart. Taken by surprise, Moritz finds himself in a city he doesn’t know and moves through the party scene, picking up new friends and pushing the boundaries of self-discovery. As drugs and sex become the norm, Moritz begins to transform into someone completely different.
‘Drifter’, from director Hannes Hirsch, aims to be a gritty drama exploring the underbelly of Berlin and its seedier side. The film opens with Moritz giving Jonas a handjob and a blowjob, and its surprisingly explicit. That sets the expectation that the film is going to be borderline pornography, which doesn’t turn out to be the case and the majority of what happens is depicted in a much tamer way. It’s understandable that Moritz would feel untethered after breaking up with Jonas, and it’s not entirely inconceivable that he may fall into a bad crowd that leads him astray.
True to its title, much of the film focuses on Moritz drifting from one scenario to the next. He finds himself in bed with a couple he meets, where he’s told the male half of the couple is gay despite being with a woman. It’s one of the many scenarios Moritz finds himself in, that leads him to question who he is and what it is that he really wants. The sweet-natured Stefan (Oscar Hoppe) hangs around Moritz like a puppy-dog, only to be ignored and put down; that is until later in the film when Moritz teams up with one of his new friends to engage in an act of degradation and humiliation against Stefan. It’s uncomfortable viewing.
Hanging around in the background throughout the film is Jonas. Moritz believed he was moving to Berlin to be with his boyfriend and that sudden loss seems to fuel his actions throughout the film. Unfortunately, it’s never really explored all that deeply. What we know about Moritz is incredibly limited and the viewer feels like a voyeur, watching Moritz aimless meander through his life. The ending feels unearned and it’s hard to fathom whether Moritz has learned anything during his journey of self-discovery or just gone full circle.
Acting wise, the cast is perfectly adequate. Lorenz Hochhuth has a sweet vulnerability to him that makes you warm to the character of Moritz. He mostly manages to convince during the film’s tougher scenes but Moritz is so underwritten, his actions don’t necessarily ring true with the person you think he is. Outside of Hochhuth, the rest of the cast is really background dressing with none of them getting enough material to make an impression.
‘Drifter’ could have been a really gritty look at life for a young gay man in Berlin but instead it’s a meander through the seedier side. There’s no real rhyme or reason for Moritz’s actions and his descent from seemingly normal young boy to drug-addled sex chasing misfit seems a bit far-fetched. Some viewers will expect a much raunchier film than they get thanks to the opening scene, which actually feels out of place in the context of the wider film.
Cast: Lorenz Hochhuth, Cino Djavid, Gustav Schmidt, Oscar Hoppe Director: Hannes Hirsch Writers: Hannes Hirsch and River Matzke Certificate: 18 Duration: 79 mins Released by: TLA Releasing Release date: 29th April 2024 Buy ‘Drifter’ now
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