With increasing class disparity, the pervasion of hyper consumerism, and corporate control over every sphere of life, it’s no wonder that in art and literature, eat-the-rich has become a subgenre in itself. The existing inequality, the negligence of the so-called one percenters towards the plight of those in need, and the inevitable conflict between different strata of the economic hierarchy make for relatable, engrossing narratives. But the issue is, among the numerous movies released nowadays that deal with this particular topic, only a few actually manage to ask the right questions with an understanding perspective. Unfortunately, Netflix’s German drama, Delicious, isn’t one of those, and despite having the right intention to portray the ever-growing and persistent class divide, it ends up demonizing the oppressed class in the most weird way possible. The characterization feels largely derivative as well, and the narrative as a whole is very predictable. Decent acting seems to be the only saving grace of an otherwise lackluster movie, but without proper utilization, that amounts to nothing as well.Â
Esther Played By Valerie Pachner
Austrian actor Valerie Pachner began her acting career on the stage and later found critical acclaim for her performances in movies like Egon Schiele: Death and the Maiden, The Ground Beneath My Feet, Bad Luck, and A Hidden Life, among others. Valerie has also portrayed the role of Henrietta in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore. In Delicious, she portrays the role of Esther, the maternal figure and decision maker of the family, whose total ignorance about the world of commoners is apparent from the very beginning. Belonging to high society, Esther is quite conscious about her boundaries and blissfully unaware of the existence of the destitute. However, at the same time, she is not oblivious to the privilege she enjoys as an affluent IT employee who comes from wealth—and has no aversion to using her privilege to cover up her family’s misdeeds. This becomes apparent from the way she tries to keep the hit-and-run incident a secret from authorities, so much so that she agrees to hire a total stranger like Teodora as her housekeeper.
Exasperated by familial responsibilities and work stress, Esther needed to unwind, but she was trapped in a life where something like that was a mere fantasy. All the financial security in the world couldn’t provide Esther the peace she wanted in her life. However, Teodora played her cards right at the right moment and allowed Esther to have a taste of the much-desired freedom, away from her opulent yet exhausting lifestyle. Drawn by the allure of a life she couldn’t have, Esther abandoned her family—and ultimately paid a heavy price for it.
Teodora Played By Carla Diaz
Spanish actor Carla Diaz is a familiar face on the small screen scene, having acted in a number of soap operas like Seis Harmanas, Elite, El Principe, etc. In the series, she portrayed the role of Teodora, one of the hotel staffers at La Fontaine who enacts a meticulous, cruel ploy by breaching her way into the circle of trust of the rich German family. Teodora belongs to the class of people whose lives have been upturned by the ongoing financial crisis of the country, which, according to the narrative, might be the reason for the hotel staffers to give in to cannibalistic tendencies. However, the issue is, except for the fact that Teodora is an exceptionally sharp, opportunistic, and pragmatic individual who uses her wit to survive, viewers get to know absolutely nothing about her character. She is always present as an enigmatic presence in the family, who is up to no good and is prepared to outsmart everyone at every turn, but we hardly learn anything about who she is as a person or what led to her choosing such a horrid lifestyle. This kind of dehumanizing portrayal of the downtrodden is the main reason that Delicious will probably receive a lot of flak, and deservingly so.
Alba Played By Naila Schuberth
German actor Naila Schuberth has previously starred in movies like Bird Box: Barcelona and Dear Child. As a child actor, Naila performed exceptionally well in Delicious, where she portrayed the role of the youngest member of the family, Alba. Taking after her mother, Alba is somewhat conscious of her family’s status, and unlike her elder brother, she is quite perceptive. However, her childlike innocence and curiosity ultimately gives Teodora a chance to beguile her and isolate her from the rest of the family. Honestly, Alba is possibly the only character in the movie with whom viewers are going to sympathize, as caught in the class war, the kid had her future robbed from her.
John Played By Fahri Yardim
German actor Fahri Yardim previously acted in movies like The Physician, Cut Off, Kokowaah, etc. In the movie, he played the role of John, a scientist by profession and the so-called man of the family whose ego is so frail that he feels threatened by his successful wife, Esther. John is an unremarkable person who cheats on his wife and has the gall to blame her for disrespecting him.
Philippe Played By Caspar Hoffman
German Actor Caspar Hoffman played the role of Philippe, the eldest child of Esther and John – the only person in their family who at least pretends to be sympathetic towards the condition of the less privileged. However, between teenage idealism and efforts to impress Teodora, Philipp’s intentions are not genuine, and despite every bit of rhetoric about inequality he spouts, he remains posited in his comfort zone. Philipp’s troubling tendencies surface when he tries to take a picture of Teodora in secret, and that marks the end of his pretend play of a sympathizer.
