Magician Mr. K (Crispin Glover) just wants to spend one night at the remote, wildly overgrown castle hotel. But the reception itself is already strange: the surly receptionist ignores Mr. K's question about whether it is far to the café where he is to perform the next day. This is a proper house, he shouldn’t make trouble, she warns him. Arriving in his room, the magician finds an old man under his bed – and a chambermaid in the closet. If that wasn’t strange enough, shortly after, a brass band emerges from an inconspicuous door in the wall and marches through the halls with a deafening roar. Mr. K quickly wants only one thing: to get out! However, finding the exit proves more difficult than expected...

The Dutch director and screenwriter Tallulah Hazekamp Schwab wasn’t just inspired by Kafka, whose famous "K.", among other things in the novel "The Castle," wrestles with an absurd system he doesn't understand. The ant on Mr. K.'s hand at the very beginning alludes to Buñuel, and the rabbit that later hops across the hallway is reminiscent of "Alice in Wonderland." Crispin Glover carries the surreal, nightmarish story, supported by strong supporting actors such as Fionnula Flanagan and Dearbhla Molloy as the mysterious French sisters who haven't left the hotel in years, and Sunnyi Melles as the eccentric artist. The second protagonist is the elaborately staged house, which has a life of its own – and is likely to keep claustrophobes awake at night. MR. K invites many different interpretations: is Mr. K the liberator that the hotel residents see him as? Or a person like you and me who struggles with society?

Stefanie Borowsky

Translation: Elinor Lewy