Stromberg – Wieder alles wie immer (2025)

Many years have passed since a TV crew followed Bernd Stromberg, head of claims settlement at the Capitol insurance company. Since then, a cult has grown up around both the documentary and Stromberg himself. Fans dress up as him, imitate him, and quote his catchphrases and wisdom. So a TV production company invites him, along with four former colleagues—Jennifer Schirrmann, Berthold “Ernie” Heisterkamp, and the married couple Ulf and Tanja Steinke—to take part in a one-off talk show. Jennifer is accompanied by her boyfriend Julian, a content creator who is considerably younger than she is. Tanja and Ulf have brought their adopted son Marvin, who accompanied them on an outing to Botzenburg in the first Stromberg movie in 2014. Marvin is no longer a child but a young man on the verge of adulthood, still very reserved and usually occupied with his smartphone. At first, everyone enjoys a happy reunion at the studio. During rehearsals, the production team uses clips to remind them of the paths the five guests have taken over the past few years. Ulf and Tanja still work at Capitol, but thanks to a few small career advances, they are fairly content with their jobs; the company, too, has been extensively modernized, especially in appearance. Ernie now works as a life coach and author. He seems balanced and relaxed, and has published a self-help book about bullying. Jennifer assists her boyfriend with his work, and Bernd still works in an office—not at Capitol—where he seems to play an important role. The mood soon sours. Tanja is unhappy with how she and, above all, Ulf are portrayed in the clips; she wants to call the whole thing off and go home. Bernd claims that he has learned a lot about wokeness and politically correct behavior, but repeatedly comes out with macho remarks and similar provocations, just as he used to. This leads to disagreement within the TV team over whether Stromberg should be given a platform at all. One staff member in particular, Luna, is disgusted by what people apparently used to be allowed to say on television. Julian, for his part, films everything on his smartphone, presumably to create new content. Ulf and Bernd are irritated by this. Stromberg fans gather outside the studio, but protesters also show up, objecting to the broadcast of the show with arguments similar to Luna’s. Every incident and each escalation of the conflict immediately ends up on the internet, apparently because of Julian. After Ulf gets into a fight with a fan, the show is first postponed for two days, and then is in danger of being canceled altogether. Capitol distances itself from Bernd Stromberg in a video statement on social media. The group then meets at Stromberg’s current workplace, a very modern office full of young employees who apparently care deeply about progressiveness and diversity. There, Bernd can no longer hide what his actual role is: to the staff, he serves as a kind of laughingstock and a negative example of inappropriate, outdated, incorrect behavior. His former colleagues now openly mock him, and he loses his temper and flees. Stromberg knocks over potted plants, steals a security guard’s jacket, and even uses the guard’s flashlight as a weapon to attack a motorist and steal his car. He wants to find somewhere quiet to explain himself, also via a video message, but everywhere he goes people recognize and film him, and the clips are immediately uploaded to the internet, while the group follows him in a taxi. In desperation, Stromberg visits an old flame named Nicole, but she gives him the cold shoulder. Meanwhile, Ulf discovers that Tanja is starting an affair with their fellow Capitol employee Lars Lehnhoff. They are both forced to face the fact that they no longer have feelings for each other. Stromberg sneaks into the empty Capitol building, reminisces sadly, and walks across the pedestrian bridge familiar from the series’ opening credits. The group eventually catches up with him there, and because Julian has shared his location with his followers, Stromberg fans and opponents soon arrive too. Stromberg then tries to take his own life by jumping off the bridge, but it is not very high, and he is caught below and only lightly injured. The mood now turns conciliatory, and the TV show is broadcast, hosted by Matthias Opdenhövel. Capitol backtracks in a video statement, and Lars Klingbeil and Carsten Linnemann share messages of greeting. Stromberg is cheered by the audience on the show, and almost everything works out happily, except that Tanja and Ulf’s relationship really does seem to be on the verge of ending, and their scheming former boss is still looking for a new partner. In the final scene, Stromberg is sitting in a McDonald’s, where a friendly employee gives him a milkshake.