"What's that awful smell" people ask when they enter Honka's flat, and if you watch this, you will ask the same thing. This film is so filthy that you'll need a shower after the end credits roll (or even before). This is the true story of a serial killer in Germany, in the 70's, but it feels more like a nightmare because every character looks like a degenerate caricature and every place is deprived, depraved and depressing. Every frame is so sleazy and sticky that you can't escape it, you're stuck there with Fritz Honka, forced to live his meaningless, miserable and degrading life between his alcoholic violent outbursts.
Having said all that this film is an eye candy (?), I couldn't get my eyes off the screen and it's very well paced, I wasn't bored at any moment and the running time felt much shorter. The cinematography and acting are excellent and the only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is the lack of gore. There are kills and other horrible acts on screen but they are very careful misplaced, so that you can see what's going on but not in detail. Also, there are off-screen mutilations that disappointed me and took away this extra punch that could have made this experience unforgetable .
Oh I forgot to mention that this film is a dark comedy. It's like a cocktail of 50ml Barfly, 25ml I Stand Alone, 30mg nicotine and 25ml Henry: Portrait of a serial killer, all stirred well with a pair of piss stained fingers.