Directed by Lukas Amores, from a script by Amores, Femi Aalse and Kristian Finn Dürr, ‘You Made Me’ is a dramatic thriller that explores the motive of a school shooting preparator. Set in Germany, and in the German language (with English subtitles), the short delves into the hostile relationship between a police officer and his teenage son. Philipp Strauss leads the cast as Noah, with Raphaél Nybl as Vincent. Additional cast include; Jürgen Lingmann and Andra Braun. A gripping tale with harrowing imagery throughout.
Produced off the back of numerous recent school shootings, particularly in the US, ‘You Made Me’ bravely delves into a subject matter that many filmmakers would briskly shun – but the narrative takes a novel direction, focusing on the psychological mutilation of the killer. The 16-minute thriller opens with Noah in therapy during his incarceration. Throughout the short, the narrative toys with audience empathy and character condemnation. At the hands of his father’s abuse, Noah battles to live up to his fathers aspiration of strength and retaliation, despite their developing animosity. This leads to a tragic judgment of error that will change his life forever.
Under Lukas’ direction, the film is finely crafted with stellar cast performances all round. Despite the chilling narrative, viewers can expect riveting high action with an emotional underbelly. Visually, cinematography is delivered to a cinematic standard that will secure audience engagement throughout. Sound and post-production are equally praiseworthy. A triumphant short well worth the watch.
