Next Door

Daniel (a self-deprecating Brühl) leads an enviable life. A famous actor, he lives in a stylish penthouse apartment in Berlin's hip Prenzlauer Berg district with his wife and children. One morning, as he prepares to jet off to London to screen-test for a top-secret' new American superhero blockbuster, he pops into the local dive bar to kill some time. There, he meets middle-aged Bruno, initially dismissing him as a(nother) fan. But far from it, Bruno's in fact Daniel's neighbour, and has been awaiting this moment. Bruno sees himself as one of reunification's lo­sers and a victim of the gentrification of what was once East Berlin and as the pair banter, and he begins nitpicking the increasingly exasperated (and now late for his flight) Daniel's career he gradually reveals a far more intimate knowledge of Daniel's life than is comfortable…

Critic Reviews:

• " Spanish-German actor Daniel Brühl makes his directorial debut with this delightfully taut, blackly comic satire. " – Christopher Machell (CineVue)

• " Scriptwriter Daniel Kehlmann has tailored the role to fit the star like a sharp suit. " – Amber Wilkinson (Eye for Film)

• " An amusing, accomplished debut on its own modest terms, Next Door works best as tart meta comedy, becoming increasingly cramped in scope and setting as it spirals into an obsessive revenge thriller. " – David Rooney (Hollywood Reporter)