Kifn

Kifn, directed by Srwsht Abarash, is a bold and original entry into Kurdish cinema, especially within the rarely-touched horror genre. Set against the backdrop of Sulaimani in the early 2000s, the film follows Peri, a teenager thrust into the nightmare of an arranged marriage, who unravels family secrets through old videotapes. It's a premise that feels personal, eerie, and culturally grounded.

One of the film's strongest elements is its atmosphere. The blend of VHS-style footage, subtle sound design, and the haunting portrayal of memory give Kifn a distinctive visual and emotional texture. Nzar Salami and Chrika Abarash deliver convincing performances, and the direction feels raw but purposeful-especially impressive considering it's a debut.

However, the film isn't without flaws. The pacing sometimes drags, particularly in the middle act, and a few scenes feel more symbolic than cohesive. While the horror elements are creative, they lean more toward psychological discomfort than real suspense or fear. Some of the storytelling choices may confuse viewers not familiar with the region's cultural context.

That said, Kifn deserves recognition for what it tries to do: tell a Kurdish story through a new lens, merging folklore, trauma, and modern fears. It's not perfect, but it's a promising step for genre filmmaking in Kurdistan.

This film is a disheartening attempt to mimic the suspense and thrills of Turkish horror, but falls far short. The overuse of sound and music creates a chaotic and overwhelming atmosphere that drowns out any genuine tension. The acting is a particular disappointment, with Chrika Abarash and Nzar Salami delivering wooden and predictable performances. Their overexposed faces have become stale and unengaging. The direction is equally weak, relying heavily on editing to mask the actors' shortcomings. The story is a nonsensical jumble of clichés that fails to captivate or intrigue. Overall, this film is a wasted opportunity and a frustrating experience for viewers.

7/10 I can say this film is best for kurdish cinema but not compare to hollywood or others,, i hope we continue to such those movies in future.this film have unclear story but in the end every thing will be clear to viewers Thanks for the cast of the film and the characters specially for chrikah and nzar salami,, this film wasn't the first movie of us but it's best of all our movies before.

The director Mr Srwsht,he's young and full of energy to us to our young people hope to our future, thank you to direct a kurdish horror movie.in fact that is not the best in world but is very good to kurdish cinema.

The actors were really good and you wouldn't expect a lot from a first ever Kurdish horror movie but it completely blew me away the actors/sound effects/visual effects were really good considering it's an first and the whole movie plot was really amazing overall this is one of the best horror movies I've ever watched they all did an amazing job and I'm really expecting that this movie will be popular and this movie has potential to win a lot of awards and the director and writer did a really good job with the script and the whole plot of the movie overall a really great movie and I definitely recommend it.

KFN is a glaring misstep in the realm of horror, attempting to replicate the style of the Sijjin series from Turkish cinema but falling woefully short. The film's derivative plot and uninspired execution fail to capture the essence of its source material. Instead of innovating, it relies on tired clichés and predictable scares, offering nothing new or engaging. This approach not only fails to resonate with viewers but also overlooks the potential for Kurdish filmmakers to develop their own unique horror narrative. "KFN" serves as a missed opportunity to establish a distinct Kurdish voice in the genre, resulting in a film that feels more like a pale imitation than an original work.