Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

Tough Enough

2006 1h 38m Crime Drama List
92% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
A teenager turns to crime to keep local bullies from hurting him.

Critics Reviews

View All (12) Critics Reviews
Steve Rose Guardian Well acted, scored and paced, and striking a careful balance between social realism and hip street thriller. Rated: 3/5 Sep 21, 2007 Full Review James Christopher Times (UK) A grainy piece of Berlin realism by Detlev Buck which follows a 15-year-old boy caught between a rock and a hard place. Rated: 3/5 Sep 21, 2007 Full Review Trevor Johnston Time Out A tragic cycle, persuasively rendered in a movie that's neatly achieved, if small in scale. Rated: 3/6 Sep 21, 2007 Full Review David Lamble Bay Area Reporter It's Tadzio versus Rasputin, with a climax containing some gut-wrenching blonde justice. May 20, 2020 Full Review Simon Jordan Film4 A matter-of-fact socio-realist style and some strong central performances making this a shocking German drama. Rated: 3/5 Sep 21, 2007 Full Review David Jenkins Total Film Done no favours by its camera-phone aesthetic, Tough Enough doesn't have much of a sell-by date. Rated: 2/5 Sep 21, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (35) audience reviews
Audience Member 'Knallhart' is a gritty and rather tragic look at street crime and youth in a big city. David Kross portrays the anxious but level-headed Michael superbly. The music and cinematography are an added value to this heavy-hitting film. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member Very very good german movie.It can even make you upset in a few scenes. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member I lived 7 years in Berlin-Neukölln (Isarstrasse), no comment... Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member Alongside "Kirschblüten" another German movie which was a very positive surprise. I wanted to it because of David Kross (who performed brilliantly in "The Reader" and "Krabat") and because of the Berlin-Neukölln setting as I have lived there, too. And what an exciting and very realistic movie this is! The plot is roughly that Michael (Kross) and his mother (played by Jenny Elvers - and not bad!) have to move from posh Zehlendorf to underclass Neukölln wheren Michael gets beaten up and robbed already at his first day at school. The only way out for him is the connection to drug boss Hamal - Michael starts to work for him and gains self-confidence and protection by this. But at the same time he loses his innocence... everything comes at a price in life. The movie is exactly as its title promises ... "Knallhart" (Totally rough), both in pictures, performances and plot. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member This German drama about a boy moving to a pretty bad part of Berlin with his mum is trying hard to give a realistic look at the current situation of poor parts of larger cities, where kids have little perspective or motivation and parents are not much of a good example either. The acting is excellent, newcomer David Kross even moved on to shoot with Kate Winslett. The story comes up with several gut wrenching and gloomy situations, most of which could easily happen, but doesn't entirely manage to avoid stereotypes (bullies, drugs, organized crime). Maybe because that's just how it is these days. Kudos to the movie for not being entirely pessimistic or depressing but realistic and dark enough to leave a knot in your stomach when the end credits roll. That's uncomfortable, realistic film making, no popcorn entertainment. Great soundtrack, too. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member A film exploring juvenile delinquency issue in Berlin, Germany. Properly decent. An already so-promising David Kross ([The Reader]) then. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Tough Enough

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A teenager turns to crime to keep local bullies from hurting him.
Director
Detlev Buck
Screenwriter
Zoran Drvenkar, Gregor Tressnow
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
German
Runtime
1h 38m