Nothing Bad Can Happen 2014

Tore is a young man residing in a communal setting in Hamburg, surrounded by a group of self-identified “Jesus Freaks.” During a road trip with his friend Owl, he encounters a man named Benno whose car needs repairs. In a peculiar turn of events, they repair the vehicle by praying over it. Later, Benno attends a rock show hosted by the commune, where Tore experiences an epileptic seizure and is taken to the hospital by Benno. Upon waking in the car, Tore shares that he has frequent visions from God, a notion Benno seems intrigued by. Following this, Benno introduces Tore to his wife, Astrid, and her children from a previous relationship, daughter Sanny and son Dennis. They unofficially adopt Tore, providing him a place to stay in a tent in their yard while he takes on various maintenance tasks around their home.

At Sanny’s 15th birthday celebration, Tore gifts her a used MP3 player to replace one that was broken, inciting jealousy in Benno, who gives her a modest stuffed kangaroo as a present. In a fit of rage, Benno strikes Tore, resulting in a bloody nose, but quickly apologizes and assures him it won’t reoccur. Benno later discourages the family from attending a local dance on a night he is unable to accompany them due to work commitments. Undeterred, Tore convinces Sanny and the family to go, much to Benno’s dismay. When calling on his old commune, he discovers its members have relocated to Berlin. Although Owl offers to take him there, Tore feels a strong urge to remain and help convert Benno and his family.

As time passes, a deeper bond begins to form between Sanny and Tore, with her frequently visiting him in his tent. During these moments, it becomes apparent that Sanny bears bruises on her arms, hinting at underlying issues within the household. One fateful night, Benno catches Sanny leaving Tore’s tent and later confronts him with inappropriate questions. This tension escalates when Sanny and Tore sneak out for a midnight swim in a neighbor’s pool, sharing a fleeting kiss. However, Tore stays true to his faith and avoids further intimate advances due to Sanny’s age. Upon returning, chaos ensues when Sanny is confronted by Benno, leading to a troubling scene wherein he aggressively chastises her for what he perceives as inappropriate behavior. In a shocking display of cruelty, Benno traps a stray cat in water, provoking Tore’s seizure, resulting in the cat’s unfortunate drowning.

In light of the escalating tensions, Tore begins to retreat from the home environment, seeking distance from Benno. Benno manipulates the situation by framing Tore for stealing food, eventually forcing him to consume spoiled chicken. This leads to Tore suffering from food poisoning, but in a troubling turn, Benno refuses to seek medical assistance, instead sneaking Tore away to a bus station and calling for help. While hospitalized, Tore experiences another seizure, leading to hallucinations of drawing blood from the hands of Jesus. Despite being offered treatment at a mental facility, Tore declines and chooses to return to Benno’s home.

Upon his return, Benno takes the horrifying step of bringing Tore to a brothel, where he is assaulted by one of Benno’s friends. Throughout this cycle of abuse, Tore remains passive, adhering to his belief of “turning the other cheek.” At a gathering hosted at their residence, Benno dares Tore to smother him while lying on the ground. In a chaotic moment, Sanny rushes in, and they join forces in an attempt to overpower Benno. However, he breaks free, resulting in a brutal beating that leaves Tore on the brink of death. In a cruel twist, while he is unconscious, Tore is further victimized by Astrid and a female acquaintance, who violate him in shocking ways.

The next day, Benno, Astrid, and their friends drive the barely conscious Tore to a secluded location and abandon him. As they leave, Benno delivers a chilling taunt, asking, “Where is your God now?” In a moment of poignant defiance, Tore smiles and points to his heart, claiming, “Here.” Meanwhile, Sanny and Dennis make a courageous decision to pack their belongings and escape, with the film closing on the image of them walking hand-in-hand down the road towards a hopeful new beginning.