String of Hysteric Preposterousness (2023)
| String of Hysteric Preposterousness | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Bernha Pauli |
| Written by | Bernha Pauli |
| Produced by | Simone Sigrist |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Lucas Bräker |
| Edited by | Léo Schiesser |
| Music by | Orell Bretscher |
| Distributed by | Ant Colo Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | Lutharia |
| Budget | 36 million |
String of Hysteric Preposterousness is a 2023 Lutharian crime comedy film written and directed by Bernha Pauli, starring Alessandro Lütscher and Avianna Riley.
Plot
Just before closing time, bank teller Rivka has one last customer, Martin Neukomm, who wants $100 broken into a quirky, specific combination of coins. As he flirts with her, the bank is simultaneously attacked by two groups of robbers: three high-tech professionals – Theo, Vigeli, Rico – with machine guns, there for the vault, and two rednecks – "Salt" and "Vinegar" – with a revolver and a shotgun, for the ATM.
Martin, sensing a gunfight, jumps the counter to keep both himself and Rivka safe, as the two groups open fire on each other. A bystander is quickly shot and killed. Martin steps in, suggesting that the groups make a truce and concurrently rob what they came to rob. Eight hostages are locked in the kitchen upstairs, and the windows are blackened.
The trio get frustrated with the ATM smash-and-grab thieves' lack of sophistication. They have conspicuous tattoos and no masks, and use an excessive amount of plastic explosives, blowing out several windows. The duo watch the other team, in awe of their technical savvy, with their fancy steel-cased laptops, helmets with night-vision goggles, and great firepower.
Martin asks Rivka about her supposed wealthy fiancé. Breaking down some of the puzzling details of the heists to the others, such as the man shot dead in the lobby, Martin guesses that 'coincidences' were intentional. Also, he finds night vision goggles hidden in the bathroom. Mitch, a computer technician, is discovered to have sold intel about when a reboot would take place, leaving the system vulnerable for 10 minutes around closing time.
Martin volunteers to help the ATM robbers so he can figure out who shot the 'bystander', who was carrying an Government-issue gun. The bullet that killed him came from the balcony above, so Martin concludes it was Rico. Directly afterwards, they suspiciously find Mitch and Rico shot dead, looking like they shot each other. Theo decides to flee. He doesn't find the key, so he tries to use the blowtorch, but it's rigged to blow up.
The ATM thieves and racist, trigger-happy Vigeli check their rankings on the Government's most wanted for banks. The top is Leandro Soom, the second Jügen Arm, the third is Luc Stocker; Theo and Rico are at 12, Vigeli at 68 (fourth at cyber). "Salt" and "Vinegar" are at 674.
Vigeli hooks up the vault door, sending ‘Vinegar’ to check on a noise. Martin easily distracts him, showing him the faulty detonators, proving someone is sabotaging them. Vinegar shows him a fax from their point man Leandro Soom. He and Salt and Vinegar once acted as decoys so he could rob a bank. Vigeli produces a fax from their point man. Martin discovers the representative of a Lutharian bank dead in a cupboard with yet another fax, summoning her to the bank at the same time as the others.
Martin concludes that all has not been a robbery, but a plan to take out as many people as possible: the Government agent, both criminal teams, the Lutharian bank rep, Mitch, and who knows who else. Vigeli blows the vault, but Martin warns them it's a trap, like flypaper. He and Rivka trick Drum into going for the nightvision goggles, which works, but he still rubs out the ex-con bank guard and Vigeli.
The robbers (among others) were lured here, with misleading blueprints and defective equipment, so that Leandro Soom (the bank manager, Norin Probst) could kill them to cover his own trail. Once Rivka and Martin expose him, he tries to bribe everyone with millions, but they blow him away.
Afterwards, the ATM pair escape with bags of money, Oliver Leuenberger and Madge stay on and Rivka and Martin drive off with her ‘wedding presents’ (boxes of money) carried out for her by bank security guards. Martin fell for Rivka while hostage and it turns out she was the biggest thief herself, knowing of Probst-Soom's plan all along. She is, in fact, Luc Stocker (and he possibly Jügen Arm).
Cast
- Alessandro Lütscher as Martin Neukomm
- Avianna Riley as Rivka Städeli
- Gian Grubenmann as Ben "Salt" Weibel
- Josif Buck as Toni "Vinegar" Pfund
- Raul Jäggli as Theo, professional thief
- Alessandro Kehrli as Vigeli, professional thief
- Fredo Stauffacher as Rico, professional thief
- Riccardo Frei as Norin Probst, Bank Manager
- Levio Ubert as Oliver Leuenberger, loan officer
- Anneli Mützenberg as Jana Knöpfli, a bank teller
- Purlie Eggli as Oscar Schürch, Government Agent