Director: Tim Fehlbaum
Starring: Hannah Herzsprung, Lisa Vicari, Lars Eidinger, Stipe Erceg, Angela Winkler
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 90 minutes
Synopsis: In the not too distant future, people struggle to survive their greatest enemy, the sun.
In recent times, there have been a plethora of post-apocalyptic films coming onto the scene from all angles and genres, German-language/subtitled film HELL follows a similar path and is a first-time feature by Tim Fehlbaum and he’s lucky enough to be backed by THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW talisman Roland Emmerich. Fehlbaum takes the directorial reigns and has co-written with Oliver Kahl and Thomas Wobke.
Set in 2016, HELL (the German word for ‘bright’) in set in a near-future where the sun has scorched the Earth to a crisp after a sudden, unexpected increase in solar activity and all life is dying. Forests are cindered down to shattered tree-trunks, animal skeletons lay scattered scolded by the sun and our characters are only protected by visors, a car taped up so no sun can get in and the night. 
We begin by joining three people driving somewhere unknown in the aforementioned car, Phillip (Lars Eidinger), Marie (Hannah Herzsprung) and her younger sister Leonie (Lisa Vicari). Life is seemingly based for every moment and it turns out they’re heading to the mountains, as they’ve heard rumours of water and regrowth on that good old, end-of-the-world rumour mill, much like 28 DAYS LATER and that key element that humans survive, even against the odds. After a literal fight for supplies at a deserted garage, we also get to meet Tom, played by Stipe Erceg, who previously starred in THE EDUKATORS.
The young Lisa Vicari and Hannah Herzsprung are the stand-out actors in HELL, the latter appeared in THE READER and takes a strong lead as Marie, despite her character making human mistakes and choices, she grows as the film progresses and there’s a very specific moment where Marie turns somewhat primal and you really feel the change. Vicari, who plays her younger sister Leonie, also puts on a similar role to that of Jennifer Lawrence in THE HUNGER GAMES and looks like a bright star for the future.
Overall, in a narrative that could be second-guessed, it doesn’t feel forced or too rushed. You definitely get the sense that the director Fehlbaum, together with cinematographer Markus Forderer have very specifically focused on bringing this bright but desolate world to the screen despite the low budget and with that, they undoubtedly achieve a sense of abandonment cleverly injected with that fear of the unknown.
HELL is a solid, savage debut and although it does follow a similar post-apocalyptic theme to the likes of the THE ROAD, it does also hold its own in terms of its craft and style. With Emmerich backing this project, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Fehlbaum and his team again, they feel like they’ve got even more to offer from this very promising start.
HELL is out to buy on DVD on July 2nd.
