Mandoob

Taxi Driver meets Nightcrawler on the incessantly rainy streets of Riyadh?!....who would've thought!

A novel glimpse into the gig-economy and colliding worlds of a modern-day Saudi Arabia, told through the eyes of an unhinged delivery driver, selling bootlegged alcohol to fulfil his patriarchal duties as family caretaker.

Lead actor delivers a compelling performance and cinematographer does very well to capture the tension and frenzy of most scenes; a respectable effort from a nascent Saudi movie industry waking up from a 35 year slumber.

That said, director was seemingly overcome by the duration of a feature film, and many peripheral scenes or moments were overly drawn out. The script too was heavily lacking in depth, character development and authenticity. This exacerbated an erratic and seemingly random build-up and dissipation of tension throughout the movie, culminating in a disappointing ending. To make things worse, the subtitling felt like the work of an impubescent first-timer who cared more about flaunting his familiarity with American pie-esque profanity and bro culture, than delfty translating the original Arabic script - apparently an 82 year old History Professor jokes with his son and asks "do you even lift bro?" or in another scene, a cousin tells the lead actor to "calm his tits" when the original script had virtually nothing to do with that in meaning or context. Hard to see this beyond what it is: a publicity stunt showcasing a more "western" Saudi grappling with its "modernity".

BRUH! The acting? *chef's kiss* AlDokhi absolutely SLAYED! Like, imagine a YouTuber transforming into this INCREDIBLE actor who can make you laugh and terrified AT THE SAME TIME?! That chase scene? I literally can't even- MY JAW IS STILL ON THE FLOOR!

And can we talk about these VISUALS?! HONEY, THE CINEMATOGRAPHY IS SERVING LOOKS! That elevator scene? ICONIC! And don't even get me started on those fireworks moments - it's like they took pretty and made it PRETTIER!

Sure, the plot might be giving us some Taxi Driver vibes, but make it Saudi and make it FRESH! It's like they took the classic recipe and added their special sauce - AND I'M HERE FOR IT!

Our main character? WHEW! Unhinged from the start but make it fashion! Some people missed the red flags but honey, they were having a PARADE! AlDokhi understood the assignment and DELIVERED IT WITH EXPRESS SHIPPING!

Ok, yes, some scenes were stretched like my patience waiting for pizza delivery, but you know what? I WAS LIVING FOR IT! While some found it boring (bless their hearts), I was eating up every second like it was the last slice of cake!

And about that Riyadh perspective - WERK! Even with its little quirks and that straight-to-the-point ending that hit like a surprise party gone wrong, this movie had me SHOOK in the best way possible!

Story narrative is the greatest yet of all Saudi movies, and some of Hollywood's as well.

A great story shows how far will a person go when they suffer. The risks they'll take, the troubles they'll get into, and how they'll get out of it. An underdog individual, how feels stuck in a society that he doesn't fit into.

The story is the highlight of the movie. Yet not to forget mentioning the great directing, the amazing soundtracks, coloring, performances, locations.

Mohammed Aldokhei's performance was remarkable, I was stunned to see what he was able to deliver!

It's definitely a must watch movie. Seeing it in theaters absolutely gave it another dimension.

This movie take you on a journey with man who we know nothing about to someone with face,name, and a package and we want him to win or "I wanted him to win ", a lot of ups and down , i loved the cinematography A LOTS , the plot is complete you understand why our guy went this far, l loved the foreshadowing of using the light to tell us a massage,however, there's a lot of missed opportunities and some scenes that needed more tension so the audiences can be more engaged and feel the threat he's facing , overall I loved the movie and I recommend it specially that's Ali first movie l salute him there's no scene with no purpose l can feel the attention and care through the whole movie bravo 👏

"Mandoob" offers a compelling narrative set, skillfully intertwining themes of desperation and opportunity. The film's strength lies in its portrayal of Fahad Algadaani, a mentally fragile protagonist racing against time to rescue his ailing father. The director adeptly captures the pulse of the city, creating a palpable sense of urgency. However, certain plot elements could have been explored more deeply, leaving room for a richer emotional connection with the characters, and the script is poor with no strong dialogues which left the viewer overthinking about every details which may lead to negative effect on the movie. Furthermore the ending was straight forward with no tension or buildup leaving the audience in shock of how its ended in the peak of the story!

Despite this, "Mandoob" succeeds in delivering a gripping tale that sheds light on the complexities of familial bonds in the face of adversity.