One of us

In a supermarket near Krems, a 14-year-old boy was shot dead by police during a nighttime burglary in 2009. Inspired by the tragic case, the Austrian production "Einer von uns" (One of Us) picks up on the attitude to life of young people like Julian and his buddy Marko, which is characterized by consumption as well as impotent rebellion. Director and scriptwriter Stephan Richter shies away from any sophisticated attempts at explanation, instead concentrating entirely on the dreary location and his young actors; he also trusts in the audience's empathy. In its strongest moments, this surprisingly coherent feature film debut is reminiscent of works such as "SubUrbia" by Richard Linklater, in which a group of teenagers also meet in the parking lot in front of a supermarket; fortunately, they are only killing time there.