The Samurai (4 Stars)

Jakob is a young policeman in a remote part of Brandenburg, Germany. He has no private life. When he's not at work he has to care for his demented grandmother. He's still a virgin, which is public knowledge in his village, making him an object of ridicule. Local livestock has been killed, presumably by a wolf, so he hangs bags of raw meat outside his house to lure the wolf.

The wolf comes, but it's not what he expected. It's a tall blond man who wears lipstick and a white dress and carries a samurai sword. Yes, he's a wolf, whatever he looks like. He has lupine qualities and he eats raw meat. The wolf goes on a killing spree in the village, but he spares Jakob, because he sees him as one of his own kind. The wolf calls Jakob "Lonely Wolf" and wants to become his partner.

This German short film is difficult to pin down to any one genre. It mixes so many different ideas that it's surprising the end result is so cohesive. It's a surreal nightmare which surprises the viewer and keeps him guessing from one scene to the next.