Buba (played by Bjarne Mädel) is a character that fans of the German hit series "How to sell drugs online (fast)" already know. Lots of tattoos, mustache, bleached hair. A small town drug dealer who accidentally shoots himself with a brightly colored 3D printed gun because he didn't think it could actually be real. This scene is also shown at the beginning of the new Netflix film "Buba". And thus fuels expectations that the film - at least for some fans - cannot live up to.
A user writes on Twitter: "Today I watched Buba: not worth seeing". Another is also dissatisfied: "Since I loved 'How to sell drugs …' and Bjarne Mädel is always great, I saw the film yesterday and was disappointed." And: "Bjarne has really made better films," says Twitter.
The idea behind the film is quite exciting: Buba, whose real name is Jakob Otto, grows up with his brother Dante at his grandmother's. And she loves fairy tales. Especially the versions where it always ends horribly. When Buba sneaks into a breakdance competition while his brother is driving away with his parents, a defining moment occurs for the main character: his parents die in an accident and Dante is initially in a coma (from which he wakes up). Buba gets persuaded by his grandmother that it is his fault because he had fun. His new mantra: When Buba is happy, his brother is miserable.
From then on, Buba keeps a pain diary in which he writes all the negative and painful things he takes on. From eating a rotten apple to breaking ribs later. All this so that his brother Dante is well. And he takes advantage of it shamelessly.
So the two end up with the mafia and are no longer "just" provincial petty criminals who steal Surprise Egg figures and horse sperm. From now on it's all about hard drugs, stabbings and gang rivalries. Buba takes on more and more pain so that he can have ever greater feelings of happiness, because: He is newly in love. But it's also a bit like in a fairy tale: she's not who he thinks she is.
"Buba" is different from "How to sell drugs online (fast)" and that might be why some fans of the main series are disappointed with the spin-off. The original format was about the true story of a high school student who built a drug empire from his childhood bedroom. A group of three boys took center stage; Memes, Instagram and chats were used as contemporary storytelling tools. "Buba", on the other hand, shows much older main characters and has a retro look. Mobile phones or other modern elements are practically non-existent. The fairy tale metaphor is also heavily exploited, which shouldn't please everyone.
But "Buba" also finds its fans online, and there are equally positive voices on Twitter: "Bjarne Mädel is simply fantastic at playing losers with a wide variety of facets. And this costume! Awesome!" And another finds: "The German film could do with more of it."
