4 Kings

Adolescence is a hard time to get through for any teenager, but imagine having socialising and mental problems on to of all that! That’s what the teens leading the way in the new German teen drama 4 Kings are facing.

Four troubled teenagers who are very different from one another have to stay at a mental institution for young people during the Christmas period and their psychiatrist Dr. Wolff (Clemens Schick) uses unorthodox methods to help them. A nurse who does not agree with the doctor and stands in both his way and in the kids getting better.

The trailer for the film is misleading, as I was expecting more of a comedy with hints of drama. However, once you get your head around that, then it’s a solid drama. The film deals with themes like suicide, coming of age, sex, fitting in and general teenage angst. The four teenage actors are very good at each portraying the very different teenagers facing their issues and learning to live together.

There are definitely plenty of humourous moments throughout the film to balance against the grimness of other parts, such as the youngsters taking the piss out of each other and messing with Dr. Wolff. If you are going to see any films for the German International Film Festival, 4 Kings is worth checking out.

4 Kings
Playing at the German International Film Festival from Tuesday November 15 – Wednesday November 30
goethe.de/ins/au/lp/prj/fgf/fil/en15875204