Peak

Nightmare juvenile prison: Kevin (Constantin von Jascheroff) has to experience on his own body what that means. He is the new kid, a "Picco" who is first of all beaten up by his fellow inmates at every possible opportunity, both physically and psychologically. Especially with his cellmates Marc (Frederick Lau), Tommy (Joel Basman) and Andy (Martin Kiefer) Kevin clashes again and again. But he learns to adapt to the circumstances, learns the rules of prison. He knows he can't rely on the guards or the psychologist. And it soon seems like Kevin will make it through his stay behind bars without losing his faith in the good in people. But one night will change the lives of Kevin and his cellmates forever...

Surely, "Picco" impresses with its oppressive atmosphere and compelling cast. The fact that the story has already been told very similarly, albeit somewhat less effectively in terms of craftsmanship, by Uwe Boll in "Siegburg" therefore has little negative effect on the overall impression. The authenticity with which writer and director Philip Koch has staged the story, which is based on true events, is both depressing and frightening. The four main actors all deliver great performances.

And yet, it's hard to recommend this film more highly. Certainly, Koch's ambitions are laudable. He has directed a work that is deliberately meant to hurt, to show that these teenagers are victims of a society that has made them people filled with rage and frustration. The relentless depiction of violence, the psychological and physical torture shown here is downright palpable. And this is exactly where the problem lies: because even if there are definitely moviegoers who don't just want to see feel-good films and light fare and are happy to take on tough challenges, a film that drags the mood down from the first minute and then blithely pummels the viewer is unlikely to have much chance of finding a wide audience.

This is not to say that "Picco" is bad. No, it's just too authentic, too pessimistic, and just too brutal for the faint-hearted to find the audience that this subject matter deserves in and of itself. For the discussion alone of whether juvenile delinquents are really just victims of society, or whether that can even be said in such a sweeping way and whether there aren't numerous other factors contributing to so many young people becoming violent and criminal, makes "Picco" an important film.

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp