RATING: A

Metis Films presents a LiseLotte Films production. Directed by Joscha Bongard. Produced by Lisa Purtscher and Lotta Schmelzer. Written by Joscha Bongard and Nicole Rüthers. Cinematography by Jakob Sinsel. Edited by Emma Holzapfel and Wolfgang Purkhauser.

Stars Maja Bons, Bea Brocks, Liliom Lewald, Joy Ewulu, Christian Koch, Katharina Ley, Maria Matschke, Matthias Matschke, and Verena Altenberger. 

Joscha Bongard crafts this tale of a problem that can be both a blessing and a burden in today’s world as a teen influencer deals with the pressure of her parents constantly wanting to share the lives with the world. 

Luca and her parents Chris and Stella seem like the perfect family. They are considered one of the biggest influencer families on the internet. Since her birth, all of Luca’s activities have been shared online with the world to see. She even gets to meet her fans, who share their love for her and the family online all for clout. However, the question that slowly begins to make Luca ask herself is, is there more to life than being a viral star. 

The answer may not be revealed yet, but Luca discovers something shocking. She learns that her parents are going to try for another baby. Luca feels reserved at first because now, she fears that all the attention she has had will be a wasted effort if another baby arrives. However, she realizes that there’s more to life than being online for views and fears that her future sibling will be exploited in the same way she was. What will happen when her biggest fears make her question her life?

The family influencer trend is one that has been plaguing the internet for years. There are some good ones. However, a lot of the attention goes to the negativity and potential downfall of these families who will do anything for clout or refuse to let go of the fact that the children are growing up and maybe not want to do it anymore and live normal lives. Then there’s ones whose exploitation leads to legal downfalls and inner turmoil that is at this point, irreversible. All of these stories are what Joscha Bongard depicts in this tale of a teen influencer whose life slowly turns upside down, questioning herself in the process. 

Maja Bons gives an energetic performance as Luca, the teen influencer whose life has virtually been forever online. This will remind fans of movies like The Truman Show, where Jim Carrey’s character was born and raised on television. Here, Luca has been online since birth and because of the mere fact, it had always been her and her parents. Because of the life she had been accustomed to, she thought this is how life is and was always happy. It is when her mom Stella, played by a great Bea Brocks, tells her that she and Chris, played with manipulative charm by Liliom Lewald, are planning to have another baby.

It is this moment that changed Luca as she has many questions that pop up and reacts in different ways. With one question being “what if I am no longer the center of attention” is futily answered when she decides to get their attention (and everyone else’s) by taking off her dress in the middle of a restaurant. Freaked out and thinking she is just lashing out at the news, the parents go online and claim the act was done by AI as a means a cover up the truth. It only slowly gets worse when Stella is ready to give birth and Luca then questions “can there be more to life than being online all the time”, leading to a finale that is quite unexpected. 

Babystar is a poignant look at the ups and downs of family influencers, blurring the lines between online and offline life. Maja Bons gives an excellent performance in the role of the teen whose life slowly unravels. An excellent film from Joscha Bongard.

The film will be released in theaters in the UK and Ireland on September 25th.