Tough Enough review

Berlin’s slums provide the backdrop for this pacey but paltry teen drama following loner Michael (David Kross), who incurs a local gang’s wrath when he (accidentally) steps on their leader’s sneakers. After a series of beatings, the tables turn, as Michael falls in with a group of drug dealers who propel the tit-for-tat cycle towards its obvious conclusion. Director Detlev Buck tries to fire up sociological themes (adolescence, the lure of crime, multiculturalism) but they’re eventually swamped by a lack of sympathy for the gormless protagonist. Done no favours by its camera-phone aesthetic, Tough Enough doesn’t have much of a sell-by date.