The Judgment

When is something sinful, and when is it not? It's hardly a clear-cut matter; what someone might see as perfectly acceptable is utter heresy for someone else, despite the fact that the same issue is up for debate in each of those cases. And it's this question that's explored in writer-director Marwan Mokbel Elessawi's second feature outing about an Egyptian-American gay couple who visit the homeland to handle a family emergency and end up undergoing a frightening, unexpected supernatural experience. One of the partners, Mo (short for Mohammed) (Junes Zahdi), who has spent most of his life in the US and has had little contact with his family for years, is unaccustomed to the lack of tolerance he experiences compared to his life in America. Yet, despite sincere efforts to maintain a low profile, he soon discovers that there may be those who know about his "sinful" secret - and who seek to inflict evil deeds upon him for his allegedly wicked ways, experiences that prompt Mo to question his own behavior. But aren't those gestures perpetrated against him innately as evil as what he's supposedly guilty of? While these acts are served up in the guise of witchcraft, the narrative draws upon them as metaphors for the narrow-mindedness of fanatical religious fundamentalism. These incidents thus place the beleaguered protagonist in a position of having to assess his beliefs about himself and what's unfolding around him, issues that hearken back to his youthful upbringing and prompting him to examine his current behavior. The result is an admirably ambitious effort at exploring the key question raised above. Unfortunately, the picture doesn't address it as clearly as it might have. While this offering starts out strong and finishes well, it stumbles in the middle, getting caught up in an array of confusing story threads that go on too long and ultimately yield more muddle than riddle. Although the film provides a detailed look at the rites and practices of Egyptian witchcraft, there's a definite TMI quality about this that doesn't allow the narrative's symbolic elements to come across as unobstructed as they might have otherwise. I appreciate the sentiment that this one was going for, but it's regrettable that it didn't carry it off as well as it might have. It really is true that less can be more.

I live in Morocco where black magic/witchcraft is also practised and I know the superstitiousness of many of my friends and acquaintances here. One friend who has been abroad and has modern tastes and ideas ran out of my kitchen once because I poured boiling water down the sink - he was terrified the sink demon would get us for burning him. A belief in magic is deeply ingrained in Arab culture despite the fact that it is haram in Islam. Even in the home of the Hajj, one of the former Saudi King's wives was a Moroccan and no one would cross her as she reputedly had such powerful spells.

So for Mo, despite being brought up mostly in the States, the fear and terror of superstition came bubbling up to the surface and affected his mental equilibrium.

Some of the supernatural scenes in the film were truly frightening and evoked a shiver down my spine. And as a love story between two Arab men, a powerful point was made that they harmed no one and that the religious zealots persecuting gay men and women are actually the evil ones.

I loved the part played by Hichem's mum. Mothers know their sons! Especially Arab ones.

As a film performed partly in the imagination, this was nonetheless convincing - my attention didn't waver for an instant.

I have one small quibble though. Not all of the Arabic dialogue was subtitled. I'm not at all proficient in Egyptian Arabic although my knowledge of Moroccan Darija helped somewhat. It was extremely annoying that I missed out on some of what people were saying.

That apart, I recommend this film.

This film went so deep in the psychological and social dilemma people live in that specific radical culture. It's screaming for more awareness and compassion in the topic and I think this is a big step.

The film kept me on edge and I could really connect with the characters. Amazing acting, you could really feel the pain and the madness the characters were going through. I think is was a very well done film, from acting to cinematography, from directing to execution. I really believe this is one of a kind and it's a big step for people in the situation to be loved.

Congratulations to the filmmakers.

A compelling watch of serious depths. This movie was so intriguing to me and very thought-provoking. It skillfully tackled themes of justice and morality. Beautiful performances, and so masterfully shot and edited. It's refreshing to see these kinds of films from Arab content creators. You can tell there is a lot of effort put into the story and the characters in the film. Thoroughly enjoyed watching it. The cinematography draws you in, capturing raw emotions and the tense atmosphere. Every scene adds meaning to the overall narrative, making it a film worth reflecting on long after watching. Highlt Recommend!

Absolutely epic acting / performances. The story was fascinating and directed hauntingly beautiful. Loved the music and all the authentic locations. So many surprising Plot twists and real characters who you will fall in love with. It's not really a horror film though for those who only want that, it may not be for you. It's a psychological thriller, drama with horror elements. I've never seen a film like this and was intrigued from the very first opening. It didn't need gore or even nudity to bring across all the extreme themes of the story. Beautiful cinematography!! Can't stress enough how well it was acted, from the lead J. Zahdi to everyone else!

Not your usual LGBtQ film. Nothing usual about this film at all. Just an intense rollercoaster ride from start to finish and it hits alll the feels.

Absolutely love it. Such a wonderful message too. In all that dark drama the writer managed to hit us with a super positive, uplifting message in the end. Amazing. Must watch!!