Forushande (2016)

I’d give this one a 4.5 out of 10. It builds up this sense of momentum, teasing you with these "will they or won't they" moments, but in the end, it just fizzles out. It reminded me of watching a striker break away on a breakaway, everyone in the stadium already celebrating the goal, only for him to absolutely shank the shot way over the stands. Total letdown.
+ On the bright side, the lead actor actually puts in a solid performance.

just dropped my thoughts on my impressions.

The movie uses this really clever, smart way—honestly, just like everything else this director puts out—to take one specific scene and use it as a lens to show how messy and totally unfair gender dynamics can be in the Middle East.

That whole parallel play within a play thing? It’s a killer metaphor for that kind of hypocrisy.
And man, that ending where they’re both just sitting there putting makeup on "old" versions of themselves... that’s easily one of the most piercing, clear-as-day endings I’ve seen in a long time.

Hands down the best film of 2016, even if you count Mel Gibson's *Hacksaw Ridge* as a contender.