Nightmare in Suburbia (4 Stars)

This is a 2004 German film called "Der Teufel von Rudow", literally translated "The Devil of Rudow". I prefer the English title.

Thorsten and Cora are two teenage university students who live in the small town of Rudow, just outside Berlin. When they go to McDonald's they can't get any hamburgers because the man in front of them buys all the burgers. They follow him home and see him standing in the street throwing the burgers over the fence into a garden. Their curiosity is further aroused when they meet a gun-wielding, karate-kicking leather-clad blonde waiting outside the house.

This is a very unusual German film. It doesn't seem German at all, it has the style of the American horror films of the 1990's. It's almost a parody, but not quite. It's more of a homage to recent American films and television series. References are made to "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Tomb Raider", as well as to teen horror movies in general. The final battle takes place in front of a film poster of "I know what you did last summer". Very enjoyable. The film is available on DVD in German with English subtitles.