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:

social engineering | hacker | bnd | multiple personality disorder | dark web | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

At the end, when Benjamin performs his magic trick, you can see a dark clothed person with a clown mask in the background. It's a reference to Fight Club (1999).

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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 closing credits of the principal cast are shown in binary digital codes which are decrypted to reveal the names. The remaining credits are rolled with command prompt programming behind it.

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Connections

Featured in Dark: Everything Is Now (2017)

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Soundtracks

Out of the Black
Written by Michael Kerr and Ben Thatcher
Performed by Royal Blood

User Reviews

"First: no system is safe. Second: Aim for the impossible. Third: Have fun in cyberspace and meat space."

"Who Am I" is a German cyber-crime mindfak thriller whose story I can not go into too much because of the risk of spoilers. The film is technically competent, the acting is good, the tempo and music will drive you and keep your attention without a problem. The story itself seems to be a classic seven, but multiple plot-twists at the very end have thrilled me. Through film permeate almost unnoticeable homages to a cult 'Fight Club', that will, if you notice them, lead you to assume the outcome of this story. You will guess wrong. Only before the very end I finally understood some seemingly insignificant details and solved the puzzle... again wrong. Now, after the second viewing, I'm not so enthusiastic as I was the first time, which is expected for mindfak based on the unexpected twists and turns, but far from that I was bored and I enjoyed it from start to finish. The most sincere recommendation.

8/10

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

Germany

Language:

German English

Release Date:

25 September 2014 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Who Am I

Filming Locations:

Potsdamer Platz, Mitte, Berlin, Germany

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,700,259

Company Credits

Production Co:

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

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1