Netflix’s New #1 Movie Stars Bert Kreischer…as Himself

This Bert Kreischer film just hit Netflix three days ago, and it’s already making headlines.

Introducing The Machine, which stars Bert as himself. The movie originally premiered in theaters earlier this year, but it just hit Netflix on September 23. After a matter of days, it’s already claimed the number one spot on the streaming service’s list of top-rated films.

The Machine is inspired by Bert’s 2016 stand-up comedy routine of the same name. The story begins in 1999, when Bert is a freshman in college. During a trip to Russia, he earns the nickname “The Machine,” which is inspired by Russian folklore. Fast-forward 23 years later to the present-day, and Bert is working as a stand-up comedian and podcaster.

His past comes back to haunt him when he crosses paths with a Russian mobster, Irina (Iva Babić), who believes that Bert stole a family heirloom. Not only does Bert get kidnapped and taken to Russia, but he’s also accompanied by his estranged father. What could possibly go wrong?

Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

Other cast members include Mark Hamill (Albert), Jimmy Tatro (young Bert Kreischer), Robert Maaser (Alexei), Stephanie Kurtzuba (LeeAnn), Martyn Ford (Sponge), Jessica Gabor (Sasha), Rita Bernard Shaw (Ashley), Nikola Đuričko (Igor), Oleg Taktarov (Train Igor), Amelie Villiers (Tatiana) and Marko Nedeljkovic (young Igor).

Netflix’s official synopsis reads, “A debauched college trip haunts a washed-up comedian decades later when a Russian mobster with a vendetta kidnaps him and his crotchety father.”

The film is labeled as “irreverent,” so we highly recommend putting the kiddos to bed before streaming The Machine.

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