THE PRIVILEGE (German: Das Privileg) is a German supernatural thriller that opens with the usual horror pitch but soon turns into different subgenres – from a romantic drama to a psychological thriller but ends as a cliche-filled horror film with not much scare.
Directed by Felix Fuchssteiner and Katharina Schode, the film begins well with the introduction of a boy, Finn, who witnesses his elder sister committing suicide, possibly with the influence of some supernatural force. Fast forward to the present, Finn is a grownup young man who is still haunted by demonic visions for which he is being treated.
While no one around him believes his disturbing visions in which he sees a malevolent entity and experiences horrific incidents, his parents continue his psychological treatments. Finn believes that something is wrong in his house. So, when his twin sister Sophie starts behaving strangely and her boyfriend dies a horrific death, Finn and two of his female friends, Lena and Samira, must now investigate and uncover the mysteries.
“The Privilege” is one of those films that keep you guessing only because it keeps on jumping from one genre to other. We have demonic creatures, jumpscares, sex, drugs, and gory deaths, but it somehow lacks a coherent story with any kind of appeal at all. The story is absurd with no characterization whatsoever. So, when it eventually reveals the motives of all those horrific events, it becomes laughable and incomprehensible.
The core idea of the story could have been developed into a great story, but there are so many things in the film that are misplaced or forcefully knitted together and hence sound bizarre. Moreover, the editing is done too casually as there are too many unnecessary scenes that could have been easily edited out.
If there is anything good about the film “The Privilege” then it has two great actors who deliver good performances: Max Schimmelpfennig as Finn and Lea van Acken as Lena. They are good in their parts even though the supernatural theme was not enough to guarantee a memorable horror film.
“The Privilege” is Now Streaming on Netflix
PLOT: A wealthy teen and his friends attending an elite private school uncover a dark conspiracy while looking into a series of strange supernatural events.
Genre: Horror (German, Teen Movies)
Cast: Max Schimmelpfennig, Lea van Acken, Tijan Marei, Milena Tscharntke, Lise Risom Olsen, Roman Knižka, Nadeshda Brennicke, Horst Janson, Rojan Juan Barani, Caroline Hartig, Maurice Lattke, Jeanette Spassova, Oleg Tikhomirov.
Directors: Felix Fuchssteiner, Katharina Schöde
Release Date/Year: 9 February 2022
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Where to watch The Privilege (2022)
