The Coolidge Corner Theatre

$5 All Seats.

Based on the novel Der Knochenmann by Wolf Haas

Horvath has disappeared. The final leasing installments on his car haven’t been paid. Former police officer Brenner accepts his old friend Berti’s lousy assignment to find Horvath and sets off on a long journey into the country. A forwarding address leads him to a fast food restaurant where every week thousands of bony remains of Viennese breaded fried chicken are left behind. These leftovers are ground into bone meal and added to the chickenfeed of future generations of fried poultry.

Though he was sent on a simple repossession job, Brenner quickly becomes embroiled in a convoluted plot that includes human trafficking, decapitated limbs, cannibalism, and lots of fried chicken.

Wolfgang Murnberger’s films have long been popular with German-speaking audiences but so far international success has eluded the director. This wicked black thriller, however, could be the film to get him greater recognition internationally, at least with lovers of arthouse black comedies.

dir. Wolfgang Murnberger, Austria 2008, 2h1m, 35mm
German with English Subtitles