Jafar Panahi is one of world cinema’s greatest rebels. His career reflect his defiance of the Iranian government’s increasingly authoritarian grip. First sentenced by Iran’s regime in 2010, he was banned from filmmaking and international travel. Despite that restriction, he worked quietly to create films through underground networks and was subsequently imprisoned in 2022. After an early release, his mission continued. It Was Just an Accident, his latest film, arrives as a blatant rebuke of state power but somehow manages to be unpredictable, absurd, and entertaining.
The narrative is a clear reflection of Panahi’s struggle. The story follows a small group of recently released political prisoners who kidnap a man responsible for their great suffering. What begins as a revenge plot quickly spirals into something far more complex. The tonal gymnastics at play are remarkable. In one moment, the film is an outright absurdist comedy; in the next, it ties a moral knot of justice vs. the cost of retribution. This approach worked for me mostly on balance and bolstered the sucker-punch final few moments of the film. That said, it is the creative choice that will certainly polarize audiences if they are expecting a more conventional thriller.
Another way It Was Just an Accident impresses is the refusal to depict the violence that shaped the characters. Nothing of their torture is shown, nor does the audience see the brutality of their oppressors. Instead, the film unfolds through the characters’ storytelling and emotional beats. This say-not-see approach heightens the emotional stakes and supports a greater sense of audience realism to the story. Feeling the psychological weight, but not the visceral shock, was a commanding decision.
From a pure filmmaking standpoint, Panahi blends fiction and documentary aesthetics, making It Was Just an Accident feel observational. Scenes feel lived rather than staged. It is a style that reinforces the film’s themes and, quite honestly, the precarious reality behind its production. While many of the actors may feel unfamiliar, the ensemble cast delivers great characters. Among them, Mariam Afshari stands out with a performance of understated intensity. She is emblematic of all the internal conflicts of an individual shaped by trauma – tenderness, anger, fear, and the further.
This is not just an individual film, but a convergence of art and declaration. Made under incredible conditions, It Was Just an Accident is a work of immense power and a reminder of how vital voices such as Panahi’s are to contemporary cinema.
