‘The Calendar Killer’ Review- Good Acting, But Kind Of Generic
How do you help a victim?
Der Heimweg aka The Calendar Killer is a European thriller film directed by Adolfo J. Kolmerer. It is based on an audiobook by German author Sebastian Fitzek and a script by Susanne Schneider.
Jules (Sabin Tambrea) was an emergency call operator until the death of his wife and young son. Now, he is volunteering at a call center for people who need to be on the phone to walk home safely in the middle of the night. He gets a call from Klara (Luise Heyer), a troubled woman who has been targeted by a serial killer who demands she kill her abusive husband Martin (Friedrich Mücke) or she will die in his place. As the night progresses, time is running out for both of them.
All of the actors do a fantastic job. You feel the fear and confusion that Heyer expresses as she navigates the night, deciding what to do. Likewise, Tambrea delivers a competent performance as a defeated emergency operator who is guarding a secret that may shock you. The two have good chemistry and work well together. The rest of the cast does a fine job as well, complementing the plot and bringing it to fruition.
I also appreciated how the story showed abusers engage in a cycle of violence that traps their victims. You definitely feel for Klara as she lives and relives the violence that is hurled her way. It seems she has no escape from her terrifying reality.
Otherwise, there is not a lot I can do to praise this film. While it is not as bad as other works of Europe cinema that I have viewed, it missed the mark. It tries to wax philosophy about the cycle of abuse by telling instead of showing. If they had tightened the script a little bit it would have worked better.
For example, the film makes it clear that Klara is mentally troubled and toys with the idea that she might be hallucinating at some points in the plot. If they had expanded on this idea, it would have been way more thrilling and added a bit more mystique to the plot. Instead, it felt a bit more generic and added nothing new to the genre.
Bottom line, The Calendar Killer has decent performances and a solid message on ending the cycle of abuse. However, it falls apart with missed opportunities, making it feel like a typical thriller instead of genre-defining.
PARENTAL CONCERNS: Domestic abuse, Violence, Strong foul language, Sexual content
FAVORITE QUOTE: I suppose you may not believe me, but I know exactly what you are going through.
Check out the trailer below:
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or anime you would like me to review.