Netflix’s 2024 German release, Sixty Minutes almost feels like a video game with a fixed destination and duration. MMA fighter Octavio Bergmann has to make it back home to celebrate his daughter’s birthday, but a crucial fight causes him to delay. He might lose custody if he does not make it home in time, but there is a lot at stake in the match. How will Octavio manage to balance both his commitments? How far will a father be willing to go to be reunited with his daughter? You can feel the rush throughout Sixty Minutes, but it fails to leave a lasting impression because the characters lack depth, and the plot is wafer thin.
Spoiler Alert
Why did Octavio have to make it back home on time?
Octavio Bergmann was set to fight Benko, but the constant delay in the match started to bother him. He had promised his daughter, Leonie, that he would bring her a cake and a surprise birthday present. Octavio had to reach home by six, and he was convinced that he would make it back in time. Leonie refused to eat anything in the hopes of tasting the cake her father had promised her. Mina, Octavio’s ex-wife, was worried that, once again, he would fail to keep his promise. She could not watch Leonie get her heart broken over and over again, and she refused to put up with him anymore.
Octavio was a young father whose work commitments made it difficult for him to be there for Leonie, but this time, he was hellbent on making it to the birthday party. He had made it to the dressing room and was ready for the fight, and just a minute before he entered the cage, he received a call from Mina. She had decided to file for Leonie’s sole custody, and Octavio would receive the legal documents by the next day. She would reconsider her decision if he made it home by six. Octavio had only one hour in hand. He decided to walk away from the fight to be with his daughter. In one hour, Octavio had to get the cake he had ordered and pick up the kitten he had chosen for Leonie from the animal shelter. He believed he would make it in time, but he was unaware of the many hurdles he would have to overcome along the way.
Why was Octavio being followed?
Octavio’s manager and friend, Paul, tried to stop him from running away from the match. As soon as he stepped out, Octavio had goons following him. They were desperate to get a hold of him and put him in the cage with Benko. Octavio figured out that Paul was hiding something from him. After tackling the goons, he contacted Paul and learned that the fight was fixed. Chino had bet all his money on Octavio, and Benko was supposed to go down by the third round. Chino would lose every penny if Octavio did not make it back to the fight. Paul requested that Octavio return, but all he could think about was making it to his daughter’s birthday party. He desperately wanted to become a better father, and the only way he could prove that he was making an attempt was by being there with Leonie.
Chino’s men continued to follow Octavio, and he headed to the gym to get help from Cosima. While Cosima, Bruno, and Anika handled the goons, Octavio made a run for his life. As luck would have it, Octavio was arrested by the police for suspicious activity and insulting a police officer. He tried to reason with them, but they were persistent about taking him to the station. Chino’s men ran their car into the police vehicle to get a hold of Octavio. But the MMA champion managed to escape once again. He lost his cool when Chino’s brother followed him to the bakery and destroyed the cake he had ordered for Leonie. Octavio pinned him to the ground and repeatedly punched him. As soon as he left the store, Benko started to chase him, and it turned out he, too, had his money involved. Rico came to Octavio’s rescue, but he soon realized that he, too, had an ulterior motive.
Octavio was tied down to a chair, and an elderly woman, Danica, sat across him. She interrogated Octavio, and we soon found out that they were after Chino. After realizing that Octavio was not lying when he confessed that he walked from the match to meet his daughter, they decided to use him as bait to get to Chino. Octavio once again ran away from the danger and made it to the subway. After catching his breath, he was back to getting chased. Benko and his men followed him to an underground nightclub, and the two fought it out. Octavio successfully overpowered him and walked out of the club. He was surprised to see Paul outside, and he realized that Paul had been tracking his every movement. His trusted friend had been providing his location to Chino. Paul tried to explain himself, stating that he was also in a tough spot and did whatever he could to protect himself. But Octavio was done listening to him; after all, it was because of Paul that the gambling mafia was after him. Paul walked away, and Octavio made it to his parents’ house.
How did Octavio fix the mess?
Octavio’s parents were concerned when they saw his deep-cut wound. From what we get to see in Sixty Minutes, Octavio did not share a fond relationship with Marco. Maybe Marco never approved of Octavio’s decision to become an MMA fighter, and it perhaps pained him to see him in such a miserable condition. Marco chose to be honest with him and showed him a mirror. He stated how Octavio was afraid of the responsibilities he had to take on as a father, and that was why he always made excuses and stayed away. It was his fear of being a bad influence on Leonie and an imperfect father that always forced him to be on the run. Octavio possibly did not have a steady father figure in his life. Maybe Marco was his stepfather or perhaps he had been absent throughout Octavio’s childhood. The conversation helped Octavio to think clearly, and he headed out once again.
Paul had called him in between, and from the little that he said, Octavio knew that Chino and his men were still with him. They wanted to know his location, and Octavio decided it was time he took care of the situation instead of simply running away from it. He informed Paul that he was at the animal shelter. He called Rico and asked him to update Danica on Chino’s location. Octavio went ahead and informed the police that the gang responsible for running into a police vehicle would be at the animal shelter.
Octavio finally got the kitten he intended on gifting Leonie, but before he could head out, Chino arrived with his men. Chino was mad and threatened to make Paul and Octavio’s lives miserable. He believed he owned them now, and just at the right moment, the gambling mafia’s gang arrived. Paul and Octavio tried to escape, but Chino followed them. He had a gun in his hand and was ready to shoot Octavio dead, but thankfully, Cosima arrived. She had followed Paul to the location and waited for the right moment to show herself. Chino was almost impossible to stop, but Paul, Cosima, and Octavio fought together to scare him away.
How Did Octavio get to meet his daughter?
With the kitten in his arms, Octavio was about to make it to Leonie’s party when, once again, Chino stopped him. Chino was too weak to fight Octavio, and he fell to the ground. It was the last leg of his journey, and Octavio was about to make it to the driveway when his body gave up. He had lost a lot of blood and collapsed on the road. He heard Leonie’s voice just as he was about to give up. She came running to him and hugged him tight. At that moment, Octavio no longer experienced any physical pain—he was at peace with his daughter in his arms.
During Sixty Minutes‘ ending, Mina noticed the kitten and realized that it must have been Octavio, who got it for Leonie. Even though they had separated, Mina had a change of heart when she saw Octavio with their daughter. She could not take the one thing that mattered in his life away from him. In the end, he was successful in keeping his promise, and he also managed to get away from the blood-hungry mob. The gambling mafia gang is extremely influential, and the police will possibly face resistance. The low-level gang members will make it to prison, and we can expect Chino’s life to be miserable if he is arrested by the police. Chino has nowhere to escape, considering both the police and the mafia are after him. Paul has hopefully learned his lesson and will not keep Octavio out of the loop while making an important decision. We can expect Cosimo to finally get the raise she has been asking for. Rest assured, Octavio will focus on becoming a better father to Leonie, and he will prioritize his daughter over everything else.
