Ach Du Scheisse!, Holy Shit! (2022)
Directed by: Lukas Rinker
Written by: Lukas Rinker
Starring: Björn Meyer, Friederike Kempter, Gedeon Burkhard, Olga von Luckwald, Rodney Charles, Thomas Niehaus
HOLY SHIT! (2022)
aka ACH DU SCHEISSE!
Written and Directed by Lukas Rinker
German Language with English Subtitles
Screened at Grimmfest 2022
Businessman and Mayoral candidate Horst is holding a demolition party for a new development backed by a Japanese businessman. Inviting the local neighbourhood to witness the explosion, which includes the demolition of his family home, Horst is only an hour away from blowing up the site but his architect Frank, who’s been involved in the project, hasn’t bothered to show. Except he has – he’s stuck inside a porta-potty on the demolition site that’s minutes away from being detonated!
Stuck inside a portaloo with the Bavarian blues again.
Grimmfest must have a thing about lavvies. They screened a movie called Stalled at Grimmfest 2013, about a janitor stuck in the women’s toilets at an office party, and now we have this dark yet delightful effort from Germany, HOLY SHIT! (aka ACH DU SCHEISSE!) centres on an architect named Frank who finds himself stuck inside a portaloo on a demolition site.
It’s darkly hilarious but also intense too as we see Frank attempt to race against the clock and escape his predicament before the area he’s in is blown up for soon-to-be Mayor Horst’s new development. Problem is, there’s a huge rod of metal piercing through his arm, restricting his movement, so he must do what he can to try and escape being blown into smithereens.
Never leaving the portaloo of doom, we feel as trapped as Frank does inside this claustrophobic container. As he wakes up after having titillating dreams, he discovers the predicament he’s in and through little flashbacks, which come to him over the period of the film, we piece together how Frank ended upside down inside the portaloo, trapped and injured. Using everything at his disposal, he must try to escape but it’s easier said than done with many obstacles in his path.
ACH DU SCHEISSE! is an absolute hoot to watch, with plenty of amusing moments between the desperation and the pain as protagonist Frank fights to survive. It has all the ingredients required of a great horror comedy whilst still keeping the danger decidedly real. As a result, the 80 minute running time zooms by as Frank attempts to save his skin by whatever means possible. The fact that he’s also up against the clock adds more pressure, ramping up the excitement for the viewer as the clock ticks down.
Whilst the danger is decidedly deadly, Frank is consistently pushed and provoked by a smiley faced toilet seat, Frank’s own version of Wilson keeping him company. Except where Castaway’s volleyball was encouraging, this smiley faced seat is anything but, however its taunts are enough to spur Frank on, determined to succeed in the face of futility.
Keeping the film fast-paced and high energy throughout, all squeezed within the confines of the porta-potty, is an incredible achievement from first-time feature film director Lukas Rinker, who’s also responsible for penning the story. We get to learn about the characters in the film, Frank in particular, and although our protagonist may have his flaws, he’s such an endearing guy that you really don’t want to be blown to pieces!
Hilariously wicked, you could in fact say dangerously so, HOLY SHIT! is a pure slice of thrilling entertainment from beginning to end. Who would have thought that a movie about a guy stuck in a toilet could be so addictive?
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