"Kaulitz & Kaulitz" on Netflix The androgynous alien and Klum's "perfect hubby material"
Hardly any other pair of brothers is as present as Bill and Tom Kaulitz - but the twins are still a mystery. The documentary "Kaulitz & Kaulitz" doesn't help the audience either. But it is certainly entertaining.
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- The new documentary " Kaulitz and Kaulitz" has been available to watch on Netflix since last week.
- The eight-part series shows the lives of twins Bill and Tom Kaulitz between their home in Germany and their current home in Los Angeles.
- A life of luxury is shown. The series also tries to look behind the shiny facade of its protagonists.
- This is only partially successful - but the reality documentary about the two Tokio Hotel musicians is still entertaining.
It's a telling scene, and it comes early on in the eight-part Netflix documentary "Kaulitz & Kaulitz".
Tom Kaulitz is suffering from a tour hangover and is in a bad mood. His brother Bill wants to cheer him up and says: "Cheer up, you can train yourself to be in a good mood. Do you know my laughter therapy? Just laugh out loud and you'll be fine again."
The singer then lets out his penetrating and artificial laugh - a laugh that will be heard throughout the series.
Heidi Klum only in a supporting role
In "Kaulitz & Kaulitz" there is indeed a lot of loud laughter. It remains to be seen whether this cheerfulness - especially on Bill's part - is genuine or possibly part of the self-therapy mentioned at the beginning.
It is fitting that the whole series comes across as consistently staged despite its claim to reality:
Shopping trips in Beverly Hills, the twins' birthday party in a high-tech building in Joshua Tree National Park, the purchase of an apartment in New York - everything is one big show with the aim of depicting the luxury life of former teen stars Bill and Tom Kaulitz as larger than life as possible.
Even Heidi Klum, Tom's wife, takes a back seat. "Hi, I'm Heidi Kaulitz, Tom Kaulitz's wife," the boss of the TV show "Germany's Next Topmodel" introduces herself submissively, flirting with her status as a star.
But the world-famous model mom's joke fits like a glove. Because Heidi Klum actually only plays a supporting role in the documentary "Kaulitz & Kaulitz".
Bill Kaulitz: "No, I'm not gay"
Instead, Bill Kaulitz takes center stage. This gender-fluid alien who had to hide his sexual orientation for a long time and has only recently emerged as the homosexual diva you can now marvel at on Netflix.
The singer talks often and openly about his youth, which was characterized by "running away and being afraid".
Apparently lying was also part of it, as the record company forced the teen idol of the noughties to deny his sexual preferences for the sake of better marketability with the female target group.
"No, I'm not gay," he says to the camera in the fifth episode as a 16-year-old - and smiles his eye-catching laugh. Not as loud as today as a 34-year-old, but similarly artificial.
In fact, the new Netflix series never really reveals who Bill Kaulitz really is.
The singer remains the androgynous alien - it's not for nothing that he dresses up as an extraterrestrial at his birthday party - who has a fascinating effect on fans.
On the other side is his brother Tom. He seems to have internalized his L.A. lesson and plays the relaxed surfer dude in "Kaulitz & Kaulitz".
A likeable Jason Momoa lookalike with long hair, for whom privacy and family are sacred and who, unlike Bill, never lets the cameras into his own four walls.
"Perfect hubby material", as Heidi Klum says. Bill calls him a "spitfire, but big".
Superficial, but entertaining
Incidentally, "Kaulitz & Kaulitz" is less about music. Whether someone likes Tokio Hotel or not is of secondary importance in this series anyway.
Musically, the band has always been rather irrelevant. The band's USP is and remains the mysterious pop star twins and their congenial double act.
It goes without saying that these two consummate professionals can deliver a good show at the touch of a button. And that's exactly what they do in the eight 45-minute episodes.
This does mean a certain lack of substance and authenticity. On the other hand, "Kaulitz & Kaulitz" offers a high entertainment value - and lots of loud laughs that never really sound like good humor.
"Kaulitz & Kaulitz" now on Netflix.