Der Erlkönig - Auf der Jagd nach dem Auto von morgen

Debt ridden socialite Marlow lives large on credit, chasing thrill when a bank transfer unexpectedly puts a million marks in his account. The money, however, was meant for a hired killer, not him. In a rash bid to reclaim it, he ignores caution and retaliates with threats and schemes that blur the line between bravado and danger. His daughter Juliane becomes entangled, and the two sense they are being watched by men who want the money as badly as they want to quiet the problem for good. The chase spills from slick offices into dim corridors and moonlit streets, with the city itself turning into an accomplice. Fear and stubborn love push them toward a precipice as the net tightens.

Directed by Nikolai Müllerschön, this 1999 German thriller pairs brisk, tense pacing with a lean script by Timo Berndt. The production leans on tight, atmospheric visuals that emphasize the stakes. The cast is anchored by Tim Bergmann as Marlow and Doris Schretzmayer as Juliane, with Edgar Selge in a supporting role.

Box office data for this title have not been publicly released, leaving its commercial footprint as obscure as its release footprint across German screens and international markets. That lack of numbers fits the profile of a relatively niche late 1990s crime drama.

Cultural impact is minimal, and the film has not become a benchmark in popular culture. It functions as a compact noirish thriller that leans on a tense dynamic between a father and his daughter, a shadowy underworld and a relentlessly practical sense of danger. Its style nods to suspense classics without quite eclipsing them.

Reception details are scarce, but the movie centers on themes of greed, power and protection. The plot uses a mistaken fortune to probe how ordinary people react when pressed by crime, showing how loyalty and fear can tilt decisions in deadly directions. The drama invites viewers to question moral choices under pressure.