Who Am I (2014)

Benjamin, a young German computer whiz, is invited to join a subversive hacker group that wants to be noticed on the world's stage.

Director:

Baran bo Odar

Writers:

Jantje Friese (screenplay), Baran bo Odar (screenplay)

Stars:

Tom Schilling, Elyas M'Barek, Wotan Wilke Möhring

6 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Schilling	...	Benjamin
Elyas M'Barek	...	Max
Wotan Wilke Möhring	...	Stephan
Antoine Monot Jr.	...	Paul
Hannah Herzsprung	...	Marie
Stephan Kampwirth	...	Martin Bohmer
Trine Dyrholm	...	Hanne Lindberg
Leopold Hornung	...	Oskar
Katharina Matz	...	Hilde Engel
Leonard Carow	...	MRX
Arndt Schwering-Sohnrey	...	Paradise Pizza Manager
Matthias Neukirch	...	Dr. Arnow
Nils Borghardt	...	Glatze NBD
Alexander Hauff	...	Karl-Heinz Vogt
Antonia Putiloff	...	BKA Hackerin

Storyline

Benjamin (TOM SCHILLING) is invisible, a nobody. This changes abruptly when he meets charismatic Max (ELYAS M'BAREK). Even though they couldn't seem more different from the outside, they share the same interest: hacking. Together with Max's friends, the impulsive Stephan (WOTAN WILKE MÖHRING) and paranoid Paul (ANTOINE MONOT), they form the subversive Hacker collective CLAY (CLOWNS LAUGHING @ YOU). CLAY provokes with fun campaigns and speaks for a whole generation. For the first time in his life, Benjamin is part of something and even the attractive Marie (HANNAH HERZSPRUNG) begins noticing him. But fun turns into deadly danger when CLAY appears on the BKA's (Bundeskriminalamt, Federal Criminal Police Office) as well as Europol's most wanted list. Hunted by Cybercrime investigator Hanne Lindberg (TRINE DYRHOLM), Benjamin is no longer a nobody, but instead one of the most wanted hackers in the world.

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Plot Keywords:

hacker | bnd | multiple personality disorder | dark web | drugs | 

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Taglines:

No system is safe.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

Germany

Language:

German English

Release Date:

25 September 2014 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Hackers: Ningún sistema es seguro

Filming Locations:

Potsdamer Platz, Mitte, Berlin, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Wiedemann & Berg Filmproduktion, Seven Pictures, Deutsche Columbia Pictures Film Produktion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Netflix-CEO Reed Hastings recommended this movie in an interview with the German magazine "Journalist" in February 2016, calling it a "truely great story". He added that it's these kind of unusual plots they are searching for at Netflix. Later, director Baran bo Odar and producers Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann created the first German Netflix-Original series, Dark (2017).

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Goofs

During the chase scene that takes place in The Hague, Benjamin flees into the metro tunnels, the train passing by there, though, is clearly a type that one shouldn't find in The Haugue's, but only in Berlin's metro system. Also The Hague has no real Metro system, just 'trams' that stay above ground except for the few stops between Central Station and Grote Markt Straat.

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Quotes

Benjamin: MRX has three rules: First: no system is safe. Second: Aim for the impossible. Third: Have fun in cyberspace and meat space.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits of the film consists of animated computer hardware sequences, where it revolves around the mind of the protagonist (who is a computer hacker). No names were actually credited in the beginning.

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Connections

References Fight Club (1999)

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Soundtracks

Alarm
Written by Boys Noize (as Alexander Ridha)

User Reviews

Good German genre movie

It's not often that you get a genre movie in Germany. And even less times the result is any good. Fortunately they did get it this time. The lead actor has not the strength to pull it off completely (if you have watched a lot of thrillers, you know where this is heading and it makes no sense at all, even with explanations). But overall the acting is more than fine by the whole cast.

Making a thriller out of hacking is not an easy task. But visually the movie did find a way to give us an in to chat rooms (hidden and otherwise), with a very clever trick. It wouldn't be the same just seeing people type things on a keyboard. There are other things that work out nicely too. I was pleasantly surprised, even if I felt that the movie tried to be a bit too clever for its own good at the end. Give us more of that please