Somewhere in Texas...A Star to be (2025) by Helmut Karner - Review

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by Helmut Karner

grade: 6.5

Somewhere in Texas…a Star to be is an often ruthless, but also extremely tender and dreamy comedy, made so also by a strong fantasy component.

Towards a better future

What would we be willing to change in order to please our idols, to resemble them more and more, to feel that we are worthy of the respect and admiration of those around us? While many fans constantly live with the image of their idols in their minds (and hearts), there are also those who, in the most extreme cases, try to completely change their lives in order to resemble the person they admire so much in every way. Ferdi (played by Andreas Radlherr), the protagonist of the medium-length film Somewhere in Texas…a Star to be, directed by Helmut Karner, knows something about this. The film premiered in Carinthia at the K3 Film Festival 2025, as part of the special programme No Fund? Much Fun! .

Ferdi is a middle-aged man who finds himself at a particularly delicate moment in his life: completely addicted to alcohol, he is a big fan of Schlager singer Hansy Vordermeer (Kevin Krennhuber). One evening, after attending one of his concerts, Ferdi hides near the artists’ exit to watch him leave. However, as the singer gets into his car, he accidentally drops his secret diary. Ferdi picks it up and takes it home, soon discovering that the diary contains precise instructions on how to change one’s life, along with the contact details of a mysterious company that can supply innovative products designed to keep people young forever. How will it end?

Shot on a very low budget and almost entirely in Carinthia, Somewhere in Texas…a Star to be is an often ruthless, but also extremely tender and dreamy comedy, made so by a strong fantasy component, which we perceive from the very first minutes, when the protagonist, together with his nephews, finds himself at the concert of his beloved Hansy Vordermeer. This scene is certainly intense (the copious use of slow motion, in this sense, proved to be a good solution), but it also shows us something disturbing for the first time: the mysterious drink sponsored by the singer himself, which is distributed to his fans during the concert.

So, while Hansy Vordermeer, who seems so friendly with his fans, immediately comes across as a bit ambiguous, the real highlight of Somewhere in Texas… a Star to be is the director’s great ability to investigate the human soul, posing complex and never banal questions not only about the concept of identity, but above all about what it means to finally accept oneself, take care of one’s life, and cultivate important relationships (particularly noteworthy, in this regard, is Ferdi’s relationship with his nephews). And so, with a sincere and affectionate homage to American Western cinema, Somewhere in Texas…a Star to be has proved to be a little, precious gem. A true hymn to life and love for oneself.