German writer/director Fatih Akin is certainly no stranger to fiction that is out of the ordinary, taking part in German film projects ranging from writing and directing an organized crime thriller in 1998 to acting in a 2001 science fiction B-movie. Convoluted at its start, Akin’s “Head On” progresses from a trite tale of two equally troubled individuals to an intricate story of love, addiction, self-destruction and forgiveness. Subtle themes of culture, tradition and identity are presented convincingly through characters that are equally relatable and loathe-worthy.

Cahit Tomruk (Birol