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While Germany wasn’t a significant contributor during the first revival of slasher movies, its few offerings are an interesting time capsule. These movies show how the country interpreted the subgenre during its postmodern era. Of all the homegrown German efforts from the early 2000s, The Pool (also known as Swimming Pool: Der Tod feiert mit) perhaps brings up the most nostalgia despite its vanishing act over the years. Boris von Sychowski’s vaguely remembered slasher didn’t make a huge splash back then, although that wasn’t from a lack of trying.

German slasher The Pool is openly set in Prague, yet the English dialogue, the rampant Hollywood movie clichés, and the generic pop-rock soundtrack all make American audiences feel more at home. The glaring Czech architecture and various accents, however, are constant reminders that the characters themselves are far from home. The adults and authority figures are either...