'Persian noir' is not my description - it was used by this Iran-set film's director, Ali Abbasi, when he introduced it at the 2022 London Film Festival. It is an accurate description, at least in that a lot of the action takes place at night. Since it was made, the film, which focusses on violence against women, has gained added resonance due to the death of young Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the Iranian so-called 'morality police' and the protests that have ignited as a result.
It is based on events in Mashhad, Iran's second city, where between 2000-1 construction worker Saeed Hanaei strangled to death at least sixteen prostitutes. Whereas in many thrillers of this sort the killer remains little more than a cipher for deep evil and general nastiness, Saeed is given more of a personality: he is a family man with young children of whom he is clearly fond, and in-laws he does not particularly like. This does not necessarily make him likeable, but it does provide a more rounded character and was a good decision on the part of the film-makers.
The other main character in the film is Rahimi, a female journalist. She seems to be in a permanent state of exasperation, although this is understandable given the petty annoyances with which she has to deal ("please cover your hair" off-handedly orders a hotel receptionist). Determining the police are not doing enough to capture the murderer, it is little surprise when she sets up herself as a target. At this point the viewer may think the film (which at over two hours is rather long) is finished, but instead it goes on to portray society's depressing reactions to Saeed's crimes.
There are a few flaws: for instance, it is never explained why friends of Saeed promise to help him escape but then do nothing. But I appreciated the attempts to make Saeed a more rounded character than might have been expected, and I note that the Iranian judiciary of the time come out of things reasonably well, portrayed as determined that Saeed will answer for his crimes despite the huge amount of support he has among the public - so I think the film-makers have tried to be even-handed rather than forcing their own opinions down the throat of the viewer. That is important, particularly when Western audiences know so little about day-to-day life in the Islamic Republic.
It is based on events in Mashhad, Iran's second city, where between 2000-1 construction worker Saeed Hanaei strangled to death at least sixteen prostitutes. Whereas in many thrillers of this sort the killer remains little more than a cipher for deep evil and general nastiness, Saeed is given more of a personality: he is a family man with young children of whom he is clearly fond, and in-laws he does not particularly like. This does not necessarily make him likeable, but it does provide a more rounded character and was a good decision on the part of the film-makers.
The other main character in the film is Rahimi, a female journalist. She seems to be in a permanent state of exasperation, although this is understandable given the petty annoyances with which she has to deal ("please cover your hair" off-handedly orders a hotel receptionist). Determining the police are not doing enough to capture the murderer, it is little surprise when she sets up herself as a target. At this point the viewer may think the film (which at over two hours is rather long) is finished, but instead it goes on to portray society's depressing reactions to Saeed's crimes.
There are a few flaws: for instance, it is never explained why friends of Saeed promise to help him escape but then do nothing. But I appreciated the attempts to make Saeed a more rounded character than might have been expected, and I note that the Iranian judiciary of the time come out of things reasonably well, portrayed as determined that Saeed will answer for his crimes despite the huge amount of support he has among the public - so I think the film-makers have tried to be even-handed rather than forcing their own opinions down the throat of the viewer. That is important, particularly when Western audiences know so little about day-to-day life in the Islamic Republic.