Sheeple

Houman Seyyedi's 2018 Iranian film turns around a family producing crystal meth in a poor district of Tehran. The elder brother believes he is protecting the honour of the neighbourhood; when footage of their sister spreads across mobile phones, the order they have built falls apart and a chain of violence begins. The real subject is not drugs but how the idea of honour works as an instrument of control: the same men commit crimes and police morality at once, and do not see the contradiction. Navid Mohammadzadeh's performance carries the film. Handheld camera and tight spaces build a suffocating intensity. It took four awards at the 36th Fajr Film Festival, including best screenplay. Who it's for: viewers who like contemporary Iranian cinema and social crime drama. Who it's not for: anyone avoiding violence and drug content, or who will find the constant shouting and tension wearing.