Lebanese Movies Worth Seeing On Netflix
A lot of Lebanese movies have finally found a home on Netflix, but not every movie is worth your time and effort. So to make your life a tiny bit easier, I thought I’d recommend a few films that really stood out for me over the years.
1- Very Big Shot (Film Kteer Kbeer) [2015]
One of the finest Lebanese crime dramas of the decade, “Very Big Shot” gained a cult following since its release, and understandably so. This is a first-rate film with great performances all around. Alain Saadeh is phenomenal as a small-time drug dealer who has the impossible task to smuggle drugs across the border. His plan? Hire a filmmaker (Fouad Yammine, in a role of a lifetime) to shoot a “fake” movie as an attempt to cover for his real plan. With twists and turns at every corner, the film will keep you pinned to your seat from start to finish. Best of all, you’ll find yourself revisiting it every now and then just for Saadeh’s unforgettable performance.
2- Khabsa (What Did I Mess) [2018]
I have seen this comedy 4 times already, and it gets better every time. Shady Hanna directs this hilarious movie set around a dinner table. Nayla (Rola Beksmati) is in love with Fares (Junaid Zeineddine). Problem is: they are no longer together. As an attempt to win him back, she invites him to dinner to introduce him to…wait for it…her fiancé Silvio! (Abboudy Mallah). This is a set-up for a comedy that keeps throwing gags at you, even when you know there’s nowhere else it can do. “Khabsa” gets it right from start to finish. It’s one of the funniest Lebanese films you’ll see on Netflix.
3- Solitaire (Mahbas) [2017]
Think “Meet The Parents” but set in a Lebanese village. That’s the easiest way to describe “Mahbas”, a well-made, constantly entertaining comedy that earns the “crowd-pleaser” status. Sophie Boutros directs a likable cast in a film that never looks down on its audience.This is escapism at its best.
4- Whispers [1980]
Maroun Bagdadi’s “documentary “Whispers” feels like a powerful punch to the gut, even in 2020. The film follows a Lebanese poet who takes a road trip across a country devastated by war. Watching Beirut in ruins is no easy task, but it’s Bagdadi’s poet eye that makes “Whispers” a film worth checking out.
5- Heritages [2014]
For writer/director Philippe Aractingi, devising a film that follows his decision to leave his home country for yet another time during the 2006 war couldn’t have been easy. And if “Heritages” is less than perfect, it’s still pretty powerful. The fact that it’s a personal journey featuring his entire family makes it all the more impressive. Aractingi works so well with his family that everything seems genuine and naturalistic, even the scenes involving his young children, which are quite remarkable. By making his points in the context of a vivid, authentic story he has created an exceptional film that’s hard to forget.
6- Ghadi [2013]
Every detail of this modest movie is well thought out and executed, from the spot on casting to the heartwarming story. Georges Khabbaz plays a music instructor living in a typical Lebanese neighborhood with his wife and 3 kids. His only boy, Ghadi, suffers from Down Syndrome and is mocked by the entire neighborhood. Khabbaz and co wanted to turn a serious social issue into a crowd-pleasing movie. The result is a film that’s funny and extremely moving at times, not to mention unusual. “Ghadi” was a hit at the time of its release, and it’s a perfect time to revisit it on Netflix.
More (popular) movies: Caramel [2007], Where Do We Go Now? [2011], Capernaum [2018], West Beirut [1998], Zozo [2007], Bosta [2005]
I read somewhere that this movie was a “disappointing step back” for writer director Asghar Farhadi. But how do you top movies like “A Separation”, “The Past” and “The Salesman”? “Everybody Knows” may not be Farhadi’s best and most compelling work, but it has an intriguing story to tell and just the right actors to carry it through. Penelope Cruz plays a married woman who returns to her hometown to attend her sister’s wedding. In true Farhadi fashion, an incident happens during the wedding, which leads to a series of devastating events. Old wounds are reopened and, layer by layer, we discover secrets that many thought were dead and buried. Cruz and Javier Bardem (who plays her ex-lover) are exceptionally good, and the story keeps you invested at every turn. Criticism? I would say the film goes on a bit too long, and I wish the ending had a stronger impact on me. Still, if you appreciate Farhadi’s style, and want to see two great actors in a powerful drama, you’ll definitely appreciate “Everybody Knows”.
This polish thriller currently streaming on Netflix juggles a lot of ideas at once, and at 135 minutes, it can be a bit too much, but it’s not a complete waste. In fact, it’s still entirely watchable, thanks to a solid performance by Maciej Musialowski, who plays a young man trying to find a purpose in life after being dismissed from university for plagiarizing a paper. He becomes involved with extremists on the net, who vow to get rid of anyone trying to ruin Europe and its values. Meanwhile, his infatuation with a young lady turns into obsession, which leads to a series of unpredictable events. Like I said, there’s a lot to digest here, and it’s not always coherent or even intriguing enough, but solid performances and some truly well-directed sequences make “The Hater” worth checking out.
The synopsis for this Spanish thriller doesn’t do it justice, at least the one being shared online. When I found it streaming on Netflix, I had to see for myself. As a result, this wasn’t half bad. In fact, if you enjoy films that move at a deliberately slow pace with twists and turns that occur in the final third, then “The Occupant” could be the thriller for you. When a once successful man (nicely played by Javier Gutiérrez) finds himself forced to leave a fancy apartment he can no longer afford with his family, he decides to stalk the new residents. We don’t always know what he’s planning to do next, which is why the movie is entirely watchable. That’s not to say that it’s a genuine original (far from it actually), and I probably wouldn’t pay to see it on the big screen. But this is why we have streaming platforms in this day and age. Films that do not require much analysis go down easier from the comfort of your own couch, and “The Occupant” is a fine example of that. Simply put: it gets the job done.
“Roma” doesn’t look or feel like any other movie I’ve seen in 2018, and not just because it was shot in black and white. It has a distinct atmosphere, and that’s obvious from the very first shot. Director Alfonso Cuarón transports us back to his childhood neighborhood in Mexico City. The year is 1970 and we’re watching life unfold before our eyes as he recreates every single detail of his family home. The mother struggles to raise all 4 of her children when the father walks away one day. The story is mostly told from the point of view of a domestic worker called Cleo (Yalitza Aparicio) who witnessed everything and played a huge role in raising the kids while dealing with problems of her own. It’s an intimate piece for sure, and Cuarón poured his heart into it by writing, editing, directing and producing the film. There are moments where I expected something huge to take place. That’s what might have happened in a mainstream Hollywood film perhaps, but Cuarón isn’t interested in that. He wants to explore the “ordinary” drama of everyday life: the trials of being a parent, the obstacles domestic workers face, the joy of childhood. The arc of the story is ambitious, and it only sinks in when the movie ends and you realize how much life can change in less than a year. It helps that the film is beautifully shot. It also helps that all the actors are up to the task. My only complaint is that I felt detached from the story at times and I wish I felt more emotions in key moments. I know that “Roma” has been praised through the roof and is basically a shoe-in to win an Oscar for Best Foreign language movie. And there’s no doubt in my mind that the film is simply beautiful to look at. But you should know straight away that it moves at a leisurely pace, which means it won’t appeal to every moviegoer. But if you’re a cinema student or a movie buff or perhaps a fan of Alfonso Cuarón’s work, from “Children of Men” to “Gravity”, then consider “Roma” a must-see.
It took one film back in 2007 to put Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki on the international map permanently. Now she’s back with a new film that’s unlike anything she’s done before. “Capharnaüm” is Labaki’s third feature film as a director, and she shot it in documentary-like fashion, making us believe her “actors” aren’t playing characters at all but going about their business as if a camera wasn’t present. That’s no easy feat, and even if the film trips on its ambition at times, it’s still a tremendous achievement for a filmmaker who has a keen eye for detail. To avoid spoilers, I’ll only say that the film focuses on a young child (brilliantly played by Zain Al Rafeea) who decides to sue his parents for bringing him into this world. Labaki uses flashbacks to explore the dark side of the child’s environment: the miserable conditions in which he was forced to live in, his relationship with his parents, and his everyday life in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Lebanon. All this can make you squirm in discomfort at times, mainly because it feels real. Scratch that. It is real. These are real people with real problems, and it’s so easy to relate to their feelings and their actions at every turn of this gripping drama. There are no real “villains” here, just victims of terrible conditions. And just like real life, what happens is almost impossible to predict. “Capharnaüm” has the power to shake you. It’s as powerful as a punch to the gut.
“In Syria” is a devastating drama that further reaffirms the fact that Diamand Bou Abboud is one of the best Lebanese actresses in the industry. Belgian director Philippe Van Leeuw shot the entire film in an apartment building to depict the lives of a group of Syrian people who try their very best to survive, while the war rages outside. Everything about this situation is so vividly depicted, and so intense, that it holds you spellbound for 90 minutes. Something crucial happens early on (and I will not reveal it), but like any good drama, matters of conscience and ethics come into play, and that’s what makes “In Syria” so relatable, and so difficult to watch at times. The acting is terrific (especially Bou Abboud and Hiam Abbas who steal every scene they appear in), the camerawork almost invisible, adding to a feeling that everything happening in front of us is real, and we’re simply watching life unfold. And just like real life, what happens during the course of the film is almost impossible to predict. “In Syria” is a tense drama, brilliantly acted, and not to be missed. It hits hard.
A police officer in Cairo talking and investigating a murder like a character out of a 1940’s film noir starring Humphrey Bogart. It’s a daring move, but a damn good one, so it should be on your list of movies to see before the year is over. A spoof would have been enough for writer/director Tarek Saleh. Instead, he dives deep into the film noir genre, shaping his characters with grit and panache. Fares Fares is terrific as police office Noreddin, who is assigned to investigate the murder of a famous singer at the Nile Hilton hotel, just weeks before the 2011 Egyptian revolution. In true film noir fashion, the trail eventually leads to a web of deceit and danger. Kudos to director Tarek Saleh for keeping us guessing at every turn. And kudos to cinematographer Pierre Aim (who worked on “La Haine” back in 1995), who gives the movie a seductive atmosphere of danger, especially as it takes place on the eve of the Egyptian revolution. “The Nile Hilton Incident” truly is a film noir for our time.
Lebanese filmmaker Ziad Doueiri needs no introduction, having directed a series of successful films over the years. While “West Beirut” will forever remain my favorite movie, his latest effort, “The Insult”, further confirms his skill as a talented storyteller. In short: it’s one of the most intense Lebanese movies I’ve ever seen. What makes “The Insult” so good is the way Doueiri takes a seemingly ordinary situation and builds a web of suspense around it. Adel Karam (in one of the best performances of his career) plays Toni, a Lebanese christian who can’t seem to let go of the past. One day, he gets into a heated argument with a Palestinian worker (played by an excellent Kamel El Basha), which leads to a domino-like sequence of unpredictable events. Doueiri masterfully explores the dark side of each character, especially as it relates to patriotism, politics, and the consequences of taking revenge. I’d say this is Doueiri’s specialty, and the sense of discomfort he creates throughout this exceptional film will hold you in its grip at every turn. And when it ends, it leaves us with much food for thought, something that’s been missing from most recent Lebanese films. Having been criticized so many times for not supporting local movies, it’s refreshing to finally encounter something worth recommending. Ziad Doueiri’s “The Insult” is a terrific achievement.
Roberto Rossellini’s “Germany Year Zero” is a frightening portrait of post-WWII Berlin, from the point of view of 12-year-old Edmund, who lives with his family in terrible conditions. The war may have ended, Hitler’s third Reich has fallen, but Berlin has never been more miserable. Edmund’s only concern is to provide food for his bedridden father, while his brother, a former Nazi soldier, must live in hiding or handle the consequences. Rossellini, famous for his War trilogy, which featured “Rome Open City”, “Paisan” and “Germany Year Zero”, wanted to show a nation in ruins, and to say that he has succeeded would be an understatement. This is a haunting piece of work, beautifully shot, masterfully directed, and featuring a superior performance by young Edmund Meschke. I absolutely recommend it.
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