"In the Shadows" slithers through underworld Berlin in grand style. En route to a twisty finale, German writer-director Thomas Arslan keeps his audience glued to the increasingly desperate actions of Trojan, a thirtysomething career criminal whose latest job slowly catches up with him.

After months of absence, guitarist Tom Schulze reappears in Berlin. He is met with a wave of rejection. A beating awaits him in his local pub, his pregnant girlfriend slams the door in his face and his best friend doesn't take kindly to him either. Tom is ready to take the fall for his past violent outbursts. He asks for a second chance. Slowly, he gets his life back under control. But when he seems to be on the verge of achieving his goal, he completely snaps...