An unlikely lesson in white-knuckle thrillers

• Published date: 12 April 2024
• Author: THE TEACHERS’ LOUNGE HHHHH
• Publication title: Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland)

Directed by Ilker Çatak. Starring Leonie Benesch, Eva Löbau, Michael Klammer, Rafael Stachowiak. 12A cert. 99 mins

It’s an unusual set-up for a white- knuckle thriller. Ilker Çatak’s nervy Oscar nominee follows an idealistic young teacher, Carla Nowak (Leonie Benesch, sensational), who is hoping to make a difference. She does just that, but not in the way that she had intended.

Carla, who is of Polish descent, is quick to come to the defence of her student Ali (Can Rodenbostel), the son of Turkish immigrants, when he is accused of a series of thefts at the school.

She understandably rails against heavy-handed tactics that include interrogation and student searches, and is especially dismayed when her colleagues Milosz (Rafael Stachowiak) and Thomas (Michael Klammer) encourage students to tattle on their classmates.

The escalating tensions, amplified by Marvin Miller’s unnerving violin- based score, are compounded by sensitivities (and insensitivities) to race and class.

Carla is already marginalised by her high-mindedness and origins when she sets a trap in the hope of confirming the true thief’s identity...