“The ending is a challenging one which will leave you with questions about the characters and yourself, no matter which choice you would make. This was a far superior film than the Oscar winner and will linger longer in the memory.“
Con Nats
4 Stars
Opens 29th January 2026
This Iranian film was the Palme D’Or winner at the 2025 Cannes film festival. The title comes from an accident where a dog is accidentally killed. As the mother explains to her daughter, the father didn’t mean to do it. It was just an accident, and should be forgiven.
Vahid (Vahid Mombaseri) has a small workshop and one night a family needs help as their car has broken down after the incident with the stray dog. The husband’s voice and limp triggers memories of being blindfolded and tortured in Vahid and he kidnaps the father. Before he can extract revenge, he needs to be sure it’s ‘Peg leg’ the torturer and tracks down other victims.
Soon he has a van load of characters with scars and anger debating what to do. Is it him and if it is, what should they do with him? Will they be no better than him if f they kill him? Or what if they’ve in more danger if they let him go?
This moral conundrum is at the heart of this drama that has some comic touches. (Everyone in Iran expects a gift and bureaucracy rules life and death situations.)
This is a simple film that is simply shot and looks to be on a budget.
Panahi has truly suffered for his art. He’s been imprisoned in Iran, was released after a hunger strike and made this film in secret. Film was smuggled out into Germany for editing and he will be imprisoned if he returns. He’s not afraid to criticise the oppressive regime, and Isis, which is what artists need to do. It looks is as stark and gritty as their Iranian world. Writer-Director Jafar Panahi keeps the focus on the characters and their moral conundrum.
The acting looks natural and effortless and they’re all very convincing. Vahid’s character steps out of the limelight and lets them all have their time. Miriam Afshari as Shavi is excellent and the excitable Hamid (Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr) represents our vengeful side. Every main actor is convincing without being excessive.
The ending is a challenging one which will leave you with questions about the characters and yourself, no matter which choice you would make. This was a far superior film than the Oscar winner and will linger longer in the memory.
4 doggies
Con Nats, On The Screen
