It should have been a wonderful evening. Stephan and Elisabeth have invited family and friends for dinner, but as soon as Thomas announces that he and his pregnant girlfriend Anna are planning to name their unborn son Adolf, things get out of hand. Even family friend René is drawn into the fight, as secrets are revealed and truths are dragged to light, kicking and screaming. It’s a clash of egos, of wounded prides, and as the evening escalates and unforgiveable things are said on all sides, the argument about baby names turns into a feast of childhood transgressions and hidden passions, served up for all to enjoy. Director Sönke Wortmann (“Pope Joan”, “The Miracle of Bern”) deftly helms this incredible, did-he-just-say-that story of a family dinner gone awry, in which German guilt and angst over the Nazi past burst out into the open willy-nilly. HOW ABOUT ADOLF? is an outstanding social satire in which witty dialogue and perfect timing keep the audience on the edge of their seats. A breakout hit at the German box office.

Directed by Sönke Wortmann
Germany, 2019
Comedy, Drama, Jewish Culture
German (with English subtitles)
91 minutes