Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Suman Roberson It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Jonah Abbott There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Morten_5 With a perfect, harrowing blend of psychological drama and horror, set in 80's war-torn Tehran, British-Iranian writer-director Babak Anvari delivers a staggering feature debut. A British-Iranian-Jordanian-Qatari co-production, it was shot in Amman, Jordan.Letterboxd: Mårten Larsson (Morten_RHK).

JimmyTheFilmCritic Set in the '80s during the Iran-Iraq War a mother and daughter struggle to come to terms with an unseen force that is preying on them. I have to say I really enjoyed this film. It's genuinely creepy and made me jump a couple of times, which isn't something that often happens to me as I've watched horror movies nearly all my life and have become desensitized by them. The external threat of the war where a bomb might literally drop on them at any second and the internal threat that some unseen force has targeted this mother and daughter for whatever insidious purpose the Djinn might have really struck a cord with me. It made me feel uneasy for the mother and daughter; the performances from Narges Rashidi and Avin Manshadi respectively are brilliant. You really believe they could be mother and daughter. The director slowly builds the tension as the movie progresses and overall this horror movie is just well executed. Which comes together to make for a powerful experience for the viewer. Maybe if this was just another run of the mill Hollywood horror film, then maybe it wouldn't be as good? I can't answer that. But I can't help feeling the setting, the social and historical commentary that plays a part in this film's narrative really elevated this film to another level and I would highly recommend you watch this film for all horror fans out there who like a good ghost story.

edrobbertse After seeing glowing reviews like: 5/5 The Guardian - 98%Rotten Tomatoes4/4Roger Ebert I thought this movie MUST be great! (or at least fairly good). After sitting through a slow building first half the movie just fizzed out. No real tension and very bland. Not at all memorable ... many better movies out there. All the soaring review have me utterly perplexed ...

kosmasp Some may argue that this could easily be just a great drama. And they would not be that wrong. It also begins on a thin line with its main female character. It was borderline to me getting completely annoyed by her. And that would not help the cause of the movie. But it was just there to set up the character and some of the things that do happen during the course of the movie.But the movie does get of after a bumpy start (if you see it like me). And after that the ride you are taking, is really taking you places. Pure horror and many scenes that will freeze you to the bone. It's psychological and it does things to your mind you may not expect it to do. Having said that, you have to be open minded to many things. Still this is very well written and it's one of the best horror movies in the last decade