Nothing Bad Can Happen

Going into movies as blind as possible, I often stumble on more misery than I bargain for. Since I had just seen The Snowtown Murders, I probably should have waited a bit longer on this movie. Given how similar they both are in tone and content, if you hated one, you should avoid the other, but if you liked one, definitely check out the other, just give it some breathing room for your own mental health.

Other films I'd put in this camp would be Hounds of Love and to lesser extent The Girl Next Door, though the later has more of a Hollywood sheen to the parts that don't wallow in depravity. The rest opt for a grimy realism that sinks you deeper into the filth of their content.

I often struggle with the merits of this genre though. On one hand, it is an achievement artistically. Between the acting and the authentic way everything is captured, they nail it. I'm fully immersed, I believe what's happening on screen, and I feel really bad about it. There are some interesting themes exploring issues of faith that stay sympathetic while leaning towards a bleak nihilistic outlook. They also pulled off one of the most disturbing scenes I've seen without an ounce of blood, so kudos there.

However, these films are often just this downward spiral of despair with no redemptive ark. As a viewer, you get just as pummeled as the characters, and I'm often left wondering why I do this to myself. I mean, I'm actively making the choice to never watch Slaughtered Vomit Dolls, so I've got to admit there is a line somewhere, I'm just not exactly sure where it is.

NOTHING BAD CAN HAPPEN takes us along with teenage "Jesus Freak", Tore (Julius Feldmeier), who is taken in by a family who aren't what they, at first, appear to be. By contrast, Tore is a genuine, gentle soul who truly believes that God is watching over him. Unfortunately, Benno (Sascha Alexander Gersak) seems driven to prove him wrong.

The best way to describe this film would be quietly disturbing. While there are a few jolts along the way, most of it is peaceful and calm, lulling you into a sense of safety, before drop-kicking you in the guts.

What is astonishing about this movie is that no matter how deeply degrading, even mind-destroying the situation becomes, it somehow ends in an unexpected place. In spite of it being utterly tragic. Tore is an unforgettable character, the only small ray of light in a dark, dismal scenario. Ultimately, this story manages to be more Christian than other, more preachy films. This is because it sticks to grim reality, showing the cost of faith through Tore's willingness to take it beyond all limits...

Very realistic ,dark and gritty film .I could see this happening in real life!I enjoyed it although it is quite a harrowing film .

I hate when movies say "based on true events" with no further reference. It sometimes comes off as a marketing ploy. Unless and until the movie provides the inspiration material, it's nothing more than pure fiction and nothing else. Now this completely voids the necessity to put that it's based on real events in the first place.

I was shocked to discover this is the debut feature for Katrin Gebbe. 'Nothing Bad Can Happen' is such a sure footed and skillful piece I was expecting a much more experienced director to walk onto stage when I saw the film at the Melbourne International Film Festival.

Like any good film should, it drew larger themes from very simple scenarios and characters. The probing, but compassionate investigation of faith, trust and the insidious nature of violence kept me riveted. Though the main characters life would be hard for most people to relate to their own experience, his gentleness and his drive to be included in the world makes him quite universal.

Be warned, though the violence in the film is shown quite discretely, the psychological aspect of it is very confronting. That being said I wouldn't want to put anyone off seeing it, there isn't any kind of gratuitous reveling in any of the violence and all necessary for the plot.

Gebbe has masterfully constructed a film that illustrates how the horrors of the world stem from the banal jealousies and power plays that we all participate in. Her sensitivity to the dynamics of exploitation and how we treat the vulnerable in society is moving without resorting to sentiment or condescension.

I highly recommend this film and wait with anticipation with what Gebbe will come up with next.