Dinner Party Provocation: German Comedy “The First Name” Sparks Debate – and a Limited-Time Streaming Window
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A seemingly innocuous dinner party game spirals into a heated confrontation in the acclaimed German comedy, “The First Name,” currently available on Amazon Prime Video, but only until December 18, 2025. The film, a remake of a 2012 French original, has resonated with audiences for its sharp wit and incisive social commentary.
The Setup: A Joke Gone Wrong
The premise is deceptively simple. Stephan (Christoph Maria Herbst) and Elizabeth (Caroline Peters) host a dinner for Elizabeth’s brother, Thomas (Florian David Fitz), a real estate agent, and his pregnant wife, Anna (Janina Uhse), joined later by orchestra musician René König (Justus von Dohnanyi). The evening unfolds pleasantly until a playful request to guess the name of Thomas and Anna’s unborn child takes a dark turn. Despite being given the initial letter “A,” the group fails to arrive at the intended name: Adolf.
This revelation ignites a firestorm of debate, exposing simmering tensions and challenging the facade of civility. As one observer noted, the film depicts “a verbal massacre with a lot of speed and humor.” The ensuing argument isn’t merely about a name; it’s about history, societal norms, and the fragility of personal relationships.
A Reflection of Modern Society
“The First Name” isn’t simply a comedy of manners. Director Sönke Wortmann utilizes the confined setting – reminiscent of Roman Polanski’s “The God of Carnage” – to dissect the anxieties and hypocrisies of the modern middle class. The film, which garnered nearly 1.2 million tickets in German cinemas in 2018, places a spotlight on the artificiality of social constructs and the ease with which polite society can unravel.
Wortmann’s earlier work, including comedies like “The Moving Man” and “The Superwoman,” hinted at social critique, but “The First Name” presents it with unprecedented clarity. The director, according to press reviews, “exposes the supposedly well-mannered bourgeois façade…as a fake, artificial construct that is extremely fragile and ultimately collapses.” The film received a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars from FILMSTARTS, a leading German film review publication.
A Trilogy of Names and a Return to Form for Herbst
The success of “The First Name” spawned a trilogy, with sequels “The Last Name” (2022) and “The Nickname” (2024) continuing to explore similar themes. Throughout all three films, Christoph Maria Herbst delivers a standout performance as the rigid and often unlikeable university professor, Stephan Berger.
Herbst is currently also reprising his iconic role as the hilariously inept boss, Bernd Stromberg, in “Stromberg 2 – Everything as usual again.” Fans can prepare for the film by reading about the characters’ journeys in a companion piece: “Stromberg: Everything as usual again” in the cinema: What happened to Stromberg, Ernie, Ulf and Co.?
Don’t Miss the Window
For viewers seeking a thought-provoking and sharply funny film, “The First Name” offers a compelling experience. However, time is of the essence. The film is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video at no additional cost, but only until December 18, 2025. After that date, it will be removed from the subscription service and available only via video-on-demand purchase.
