TV REVIEW
Mockumentary on RTL+
“Wrong – uncensored” accompanies WG madness and knows hardly any taboos
Play roommates in the RTL + series “Wrong – uncensored” (from left): Nicolas F. Türksever, Titus Kraus, Melisa Dobric, Dennis Huszak, David Helmut, Lena Meckel
© RTL / Boris Laewen
RTL+ is showing his first mockumentary comedy with “Wrong – uncensored”. In it, a flat share in Hamburg is accompanied by people in their late twenties. The title already suggests it: There are hardly any taboos here.
In one episode, Melisa accidentally pees on a homeless man, in another she fakes a serious illness so that she and her roommates don’t get kicked out of the flat. Two examples of boundaries that are crossed in “Wrong – uncensored” and the black humor that characterizes the series. The mockumentary (fictional documentary) on RTL+ revolves around a flat share in Hamburg of people in their late twenties who lurch through their (flat share) life with parties, lovesickness, sex and lack of money.
The setting is a bit reminiscent of “Friends” and “New Girl”, the format and humor of “Stromberg”. In general, some punchlines are to be expected and inspired by other series or films. This eight-episode season is headlined by David Helmut, who makes his series directorial debut with Wrong. As David he also plays a leading role and very convincingly. You immediately believe this charming, easy-going, self-centered guy. In a conversation about the series, Helmut said: “With ‘Friends’ it’s ‘I’ll be there for you!’. With ‘Wrong’ it’s more like ‘I will not be there for you if I somehow benefit from it’. That’s pretty close the relationship of the roommates in Hamburg aptly.
RTL + relies on improvisation in the series “Wrong – uncensored”.
The WG is accompanied in the series by a camera team, thanks to Melisa, a moderately successful influencer. Again and again the figures comment on what is happening for the camera team. A stylistic device of the mockumentary that pretends to be a documentary. Everything seems less polished and more improvised. And that’s it. For the most part, the dialogues in “Wrong” were merely given the direction without a fully formulated script. This works very well.
The idea of the mockumentary, on the other hand, does not carry through the entire season. The format gets a promising introduction in the first episode when the camera crew unexpectedly shows up at the door. A very strong, very funny scene. But as the story progresses, the camera settings are too inconsistent. And it doesn’t necessarily need the characters’ comments either, because the plot progresses so quickly and everything that’s important has already been said or shown.
In “Wrong” there are no double bottoms
“Wrong – uncensored”, the title says it all, plays with breaking taboos. It still feels like one in the first episode when the camera zooms in on a sex scene. This then wears off in further scenes of this kind. The same applies to the German anal humor, which in “Wrong” is overused over time. There’s even a whole episode on the subject: “Melisa collects shit”.
In “Wrong” there are no false floors, no raised index fingers or reflection spaces. “Wrong” is pure entertainment – and in many scenes very good.
“Wrong – uncensored” has been running on RTL+ since March 9th