Attempting a dark comedy centered around a sensitive topic carries significant risk. When successful, the rewards can be substantial; however, failure can lead to financial losses, artistic disappointment, and damage to a filmmaker’s standing, leaving audiences, critics, and potential investors with a negative impression. This film, the second feature from writer-director Leonid Prudovsky—a 2022 production now receiving wider distribution—risks facing that very fate. The story follows Marek Polsky (David Hayman), a Holocaust survivor who moves from Europe to rural Colombia after losing his family in World War II. He lives a secluded life until 1960, when a new neighbor, Hermann Herzog (Udo Kier), arrives next door. Almost immediately, Marek becomes convinced that Herzog is none other than Adolf Hitler, who supposedly died in 1945 but may have secretly escaped to Latin America. Despite lacking concrete proof, Marek shares his suspicions with Israeli intelligence, but the lead investigator (Kineret Peled) dismisses them as unfounded, influenced by the recent capture of former Nazi Adolf Eichmann in Argentina. Undeterred, Polsky continues his investigation, a plot that relies heavily on familiar tropes from stories about feuding neighbors—similar to “Grumpy Old Men” (1993) and its sequel—with some elements reminiscent of buddy movies added for what was presumably intended as comedic effect. But given the subject matter, it’s difficult to see what's humorous about any of this. The film’s inconsistent tone, reliance on slapstick, confusing side plots, weak writing, and lack of background information for the main characters only compound the problem. Hayman and the late German actor Kier do their best to elevate the material, but they are ultimately struggling against a flawed foundation. While there are some unexpectedly poignant moments towards the end, they aren’t enough to overcome the film's numerous shortcomings. The core issue with “My Neighbor Adolf” lies in its very concept: a comedy rooted in the Third Reich is inherently problematic and would require exceptional writing and directing to pull off—qualities this production lacks. It’s also worth noting that it took nearly four years for the movie to be released, suggesting some proposals are better left undeveloped. This film clearly falls into that category and should have remained shelved.

Source on TMDB