Exit II: Transfigured Night

After a decade apart, two old partners in mischief run into each other and decide to spend one outrageous night trying to be who they used to be. Plachinger and Kirchhoff revive old habits, tests of bravado, and indulgent excess, aiming for an anarchic, orgiastic evening that keeps sliding into awkwardness and dark humor. The film rides on their chemistry and the unpredictable chain of events that follow, mixing nostalgic longing with crude comedy. It stays focused on the night itself, letting the characters stumble through attempts to reclaim youth without revealing any late twists or final outcomes.

Released in 1995, Exit II: Transfigured Night was directed by Franz Novotny and based on material by Gustav Ernst, serving as a follow-up to Novotny's 1980 film Exit - Do Not Panic. The cast includes Hanno Pöschl as Kirchhoff, Hilde Berger as Dr. Brigitte Licking, Helmut Berger as Plachinger, along with Hubert Kramar and Gregor Bloéb in supporting roles.

Commercially the movie had a modest presence, with no widely reported worldwide gross. It did not break through to major international markets, remaining largely of regional interest in German speaking areas and among fans of Novotny's earlier work.

As a sequel it mainly appealed to viewers who remembered the original, offering callbacks to its anarchic tone and a reunion of familiar faces. It didn't generate big cultural waves, but it has a small niche appeal among followers of Austrian and German comedy from the 1980s and 90s, and for audiences curious about Helmut Berger's later screen outings.

Critical reception was mixed to negative, reflected in a low user score on some databases. Viewers often point to its uneven comic timing and thin plot, while others appreciate its frank, sometimes uncomfortable humor. The film looks at themes of aging, nostalgia, friendship, and the uneasy attempt to relive past freedoms, leaning on character interactions rather than dramatic development.