Axolotl Overkill (2017)

Mifti, age 16, lives in Berlin with a cast of characters including her half-siblings; their rich, self-involved father; and her junkie friend Ophelia. As she mourns her recently deceased ... See full summary »

Director:

Helene Hegemann

Writers:

Helene Hegemann (screenplay), Helene Hegemann (novel)

Stars:

Jasna Fritzi Bauer, Arly Jover, Imaani Brown

1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jasna Fritzi Bauer	...	Mifti
Arly Jover	...	Alice
Imaani Brown	...	Levantinischer Artdealer
Oliver Polak	...	Gangsterboss
Laura Tonke	...	Anika
Julius Feldmeier	...	Edmond
Mavie Hörbiger	...	Ophelia
Barbara Philipp	...	Frau Pegler
Sabine Vitua	...	Désirée
Bernhard Schütz	...	Vater
Nikolai Kinski	...	Herr Kroschinske
Mia Wörler	...	Rauchende Schülerin
Aaron David Paradies	...	Rauchender Schüler
Elisabeth Jewgenja Conradi	...	Schülerin, die rauchen will
Rafael Karrer	...	Äneas

Storyline

Mifti, age 16, lives in Berlin with a cast of characters including her half-siblings; their rich, self-involved father; and her junkie friend Ophelia. As she mourns her recently deceased mother, she begins to develop an obsession with Alice, an enigmatic, and much older, white-collar criminal.

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Plot Keywords:

older woman younger girl | animal in title | axolotl | topless female nudity | reference to marky mark | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Germany

Language:

German English Spanish French

Release Date:

29 June 2017 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Axolotl Blockbuster

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

Vandertastic Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Alice: [to Mifti] Beds were invented to smoke in. Have you never seen a film from the 70s?

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Connections

References Shooter (2007)

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Soundtracks

É Tão Cafona o que Eu Sinto Por Você
Written by Bazar Pamplona, Sr. Estêvão de Lima Bertoni
Performed by Bazar Pamplona
Courtesy of Sr. Estêvão de Lima Bertoni

User Reviews

Klip lite meets Goodbye First Love

Unlike the protagonist of Klip (Serbia, 2012), teen Mifti does not allow her self-worth to be defined by her lovers. Either misunderstanding or being intentionally misled in her relationship with middle-aged Alice, Mifti naturally reacts with pain and anger, but any bad choices she makes arise from instinctual attempts (without forethought) to find or please herself, not others.

Axolotl Overkill shows a slice of life of a teen with too little parental guidance and too much urban opportunity for self-destructive behavior. But it's just one slice, from the middle of the loaf. Unlike a true coming-of-age tale, nothing here hints that sex, drugs, or rock-and-roll are new to Mifti; she's been like this for a while, apparently. And unlike Goodbye First Love (France, 2011), Axolotl Overkill shows no maturation of the main character. The salamander called "axolotl" is neotenic - its development halts at a juvenile phase, never taking adult form, and we are left expecting Mifti won't grow up any time soon, either. The resulting storyline may thus be less satisfying to many viewers (including me), but it is nonetheless a realistic portrayal of one possible youth experience, of a nature that may be unfamiliar to many.

It's very well acted, directed, and filmed. It lacks traditional story-telling closure. Whether it has heart, whether you will feel empathy for the young character, depends on each viewer. It's worth watching once.