Tough Enough

After leaving a wealthy neighborhood, fifteen-year-old Michael and his mother Miriam move to the impoverished Berlin district of Neukölln. Michael struggles to adapt to his new environment, facing violence at school while his mother focuses on her personal life. To escape bullying and find money, he begins working for a local drug dealer who views the boy's innocent appearance as an asset for courier work. Michael believes this path leads toward his goals, but he soon discovers the dangerous reality of the criminal world.

Directed by Detlev Buck, this drama and thriller is based on a youth novel by Gregor Tressnow. The screenplay was written by Zoran Drvenkar and Tressnow. This was the first of three films directed by Buck in the period between 2006 and 2021, followed by Asphaltgorillas and Confessions of Felix Krull. The film features David Kross as Michael, Jenny Elvers as Miriam, and Erhan Emre as Hamal.

The movie has a runtime of 98 minutes and was produced by Boje Buck Produktion GmbH in Germany. Audience reception has been generally positive, with a 7/10 rating on IMDb based on 3,600 votes and a 6.8/10 rating on TMDB from 60 votes. These figures are higher than the score given by film critics, which stands at 5.9/10 from 11 reviews.