2016
Directed by Babak Anvari
As a huge horror fan, I am surprised it took me so long to get to this one on the List. I have long been a champion of this genre because I believe it is capable of saying great things. That being said, I recognize that the vast majority of scary movies are an utter crapfest. This was somewhere in between.
The film takes places in 1980s Tehran. Shideh is barred from medical school for being involved in leftist political groups. She resents her husband, Iraj, for being able to practice medicine and even more so when he is called by the government to a wartorn area. She is left to take care of their daughter Dorsa, who is obnoxiously attached to her doll Kimia. Shideh insists on staying in her apartment, despite her husband's warnings that their area of town is going to be attacked. Strange things begin to take place and a neighbor is convinced that Shideh and Dorsa are being harrassed by the djinn.
I'm not a parent, so I am going to try not to judge Shideh too hard. Suffice to say, she certainly wasn't my favorite horror movie mom (that title will always go to Lynn Sear from The Sixth Sense). This was a rather formulaic horror movie, with the one unique element being the setting. However, it really didn't contribute to the plot as much as I hoped. Although in my opinion, living in Iran as a woman is a horror movie in itself.
RATING: ***--
Interesting Facts:
Shot in Jordan.
