What is Blood & Gold about? Netflix war movie explained

Blood & Gold, an action comedy set in the last days of World War II, has arrived on Netflix – so, here’s what it’s about, who’s in the cast, and if it’s worth watching.

Quentin Tarantino’s 2009 masterpiece Inglourious Basterds flipped the Nazi narrative on its head, paving the way for a group of Jewish avengers to get their payback on Hitler and take out the SS in blood-splattering, scalp-tearing fashion. 

More recently, we had Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi’s stylized WW2 comedy-drama about a Nazi youth (and his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler) whose mind is turned when his mother takes in a Jewish girl.

Both movies demonstrate that satirical takes on the horrors of history can be just as impactful, and that brings us to Blood & Gold, a new Netflix movie retelling the story with a fresh take. 

What is Blood & Gold about?

As an action comedy set in the final days of World War II, Blood & Gold has been described as the “German Inglourious Basterds.” The movie tells the fictional story of a Nazi deserter who, while returning to his daughter, gets caught up in a battle against SS troops on their hunt for hidden gold.

Check out the trailer below: 

As per the official synopsis, the movie is set in spring 1945, “telling the story of the German deserter Heinrich, the young and courageous farmer Elsa – and a whole host of Nazis. On his way home from the front to his daughter, Heinrich stumbles into the clutches of a marauding SS troop. 

“Their leader leaves him hanging in a tree. But he is saved at the last minute by Elsa, who hides him on her farm. Meanwhile, the SS is searching for a Jewish treasure hidden in a nearby village, meeting bitter resistance from the fed-up villagers, who want to keep the treasure for themselves. 

“Soon, Heinrich and Elsa are unwillingly dragged into this action-packed hunt for the gold, culminating in a bloody showdown at the village church.”

In a press release, director Peter Thorwarth and producer Christian Becker – who worked together on the Netflix horror success Blood Red Sky – opened up about how they had “American action and adventure classics from the sixties and seventies in mind” when creating their movie.

They consider Inglourious Basterds to be somewhat of a “wave breaker” in terms of telling a war story in an unconventional way. “It wasn’t made by a German, but it opened up ways for us,” explained Thorwarth. “Without it, our film probably would not have been possible.”

Blood & Gold cast: Who’s in it?

The Blood & Gold cast includes: 

• Robert Maaser as Heinrich
• Marie Hacke as Elsa
• Alexander Scheer as Von Starnfeld
• Jördis Triebel as Sonja
• Florian Schmidtke as Dorfler
• Stephan Grossmann as Mayor
• Petra Zieser as Irmgard
• Gisela Aderhold as Brigitte
• Jochen Nickel as Priest
• Simon Rupp as Paule

Robert Maaser started out as a gymnast in his childhood, before going on to become a professional stuntman while studying acting in Berlin and London for several years. The actor made his international screen debut in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, and has starred in a number of major movies including Uncharted and Out For Vengeance.

Marie Hacke, meanwhile, has appeared in a number of shows including Outlander. Funnily enough, she was supposed to audition for Thorwarth and Becker’s Blood Red Sky, stating: “I was among the final selections at the casting. I almost canceled, as I felt really sick on the day of the casting. As it turned out later, I was pregnant.” So, while she didn’t get the role, the director remembered Hacke and invited her to audition for Blood & Gold, where she went on to bag the female lead. 

Is Blood & Gold worth watching?

Although it’s too early for a Rotten Tomatoes score, Blood & Gold has debuted to favorable reviews.

The Guardian gave the Netflix movie three stars, writing: “It’s predictable but tightly staged and well paced, and if you’re scrolling through the streaming platform looking for something fresh, it’s not a bad choice for switch-your-brain-off entertainment.”

Elsewhere, Ready Steady Cut said: “Blood & Gold is a very good film and may be the best of its kind since Inglourious Basterds.” And Heaven of Horror added: “It’s very much an action thriller with a few touches of dark comedy to make it all bearable. And the title doesn’t lie; it is very bloody (and gory).”

Blood & Gold is available to stream on Netflix now. You can check out our other Netflix hubs below:

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