Playing off the tradition of observational documentary, Lord of the Toys takes the form to a new level. Unprecedented access to the characters combined with the wonderfully expressive cinematography and editing results in such a well constructed film that at times it feels almost scripted. The issue of giving problematic figures a platform is a current issue and this film solves that problem by focusing on the emotions between the moments and not letting the inflammatory content they promote take centre stage. Overall a brilliant, affecting film that brings you closer to understanding the people behind the actions and ultimately expresses our shared humanity.
Plot summary
Max "Adlersson" Herzberg, 20 years of age, from Dresden decided not to spend his life working. Ever since, he reviews knives and other products, unboxes limited fan editions of mainly gangsta rap albums, gives talks about himself, drinks, swears and bawls in town, humiliates others, cracks borderline jokes and crosses every boundary he sees - Max is a YouTube creator and makes a decent living off of it. Most of Max's friends have their own channels on YouTube, some even quite successfully. Max and his gang are dubious role models but without a doubt, they are celebrities of their generation having more than 300.000 active fans. Is Max a violence-glorifying influencer with far-right tendencies or a usual adolescent, just trying to find himself and happens to be born into a time where the lines between private life and public self-display are blurring? He might be both, possibly without being overly aware of it. LORD OF THE TOYS follows him and his gang over the course of one summer and leaves a dystopic impression of the first generation of young adults, who never knew the world without the web, YouTube and Instagram. The film portraits them and studies the milieu in which their life style is thriving: The west in general, and eastern Germany particularly.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Movie Reviews
Reviewed by
A Groundbreaking Triumph of Documentary Filmmaking
Reviewed by
One of the Best Films at Hot Docs This Year
Lord of the Toys is a perfect embodiment of Direct Cinema and is exactly the type of film we need to facilitate discussion on the zeitgeist of right wing rhetoric and internet media. Following a group of twentysomething youtube stars, this film pulls back the curtain to expose the banal and mundane workings of the internet generation and the dangerous messages they propagate - forcing us to ask tougher questions about masculinity, community and belonging. I can only imagine the poor reviews are coming from audiences who like to be spoon fed a narrative so they can walk out of a film only to regurgitate facts they gleaned from talking heads. This film will not tell you how to think about these often odious characters but will most definitely leave you with enough imagery (both strikingly beautiful and horribly ugly) to at once feel contempt and pity for this generation. Truly thought-provoking and masterfully crafted.