It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

Set in the '80s during the Iran-Iraq War a mother and daughter struggle to come to terms with an unseen force that is preying on them. I have to say I really enjoyed this film. It's genuinely creepy and made me jump a couple of times, which isn't something that often happens to me as I've watched horror movies nearly all my life and have become desensitized by them. The external threat of the war where a bomb might literally drop on them at any second and the internal threat that some unseen force has targeted this mother and daughter for whatever insidious purpose the Djinn might have really struck a cord with me. It made me feel uneasy for the mother and daughter; the performances from Narges Rashidi and Avin Manshadi respectively are brilliant. You really believe they could be mother and daughter. The director slowly builds the tension as the movie progresses and overall this horror movie is just well executed. Which comes together to make for a powerful experience for the viewer. Maybe if this was just another run of the mill Hollywood horror film, then maybe it wouldn't be as good? I can't answer that. But I can't help feeling the setting, the social and historical commentary that plays a part in this film's narrative really elevated this film to another level and I would highly recommend you watch this film for all horror fans out there who like a good ghost story.

The film takes place in the 1980's during the Iran/Iraq conflict. Sideh (Narges Rashidi) is not allowed to be a doctor due to her previous political activity. Her husband Iraj (Bobby Naderi) completed medical school and is subject to the draft.They live in a middle class apartment building with their daughter Dorsa (Avin Manshadi) and her favorite doll Kimai.Mehdl, a survivor from the war zone, now lives with his aunt in the apartment building. He tells Dorsa about the Djinn, an air demon, is coming. Missiles from Iraq are rumored on their way. The Djinn becomes an issue, real or imaginary.The film is a psychological horror, not too heavy on the horror. The production was shot in Jordan, the language is Persian with slightly trailing English subtitles. I found the way of life and taboos as interesting as the horror aspect. Remember, in case of terrorist attack, stock up on plastic sheeting and duck tape.Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity. Jane Fonda work out tape.

An unhappy mother in war-torn Tehran must defend her little daughter when an evil spirit stakes its claim ...Simple kitchen-sink drama that turns into an effective demon story with a psychological vibe. The setting is an apartment house, with frequent black outs and siren warnings of bombardment by an enemy army, which creates an atmosphere of unrelieved anxiety. The family drama drags on a little long, with far too much dialogue, and the spookiness should have been introduced sooner - but that's my only real criticism.If you're tired of jump scares then do check this out - there are half a dozen delivered with great skill, and I think the secret is in the sound design and the half-glimpsed manifestations. The sense of a waking-dream expresses the mother's anxiety in a much more effective way than the similar story of The Babadook, although the stressed out exchanges do become a little wearing in this one too. One effect, under the bed with the figure in the blue coat, looked ridiculous - but maybe I mistook the image.Performances are good, and the photography mixes things up nicely. Music is good too, but the outstanding element is the sound design.Overall: Real spooky, with a few flaws.

I saw this movie had a 98% on rotten tomatoes and was on lists as being one of the best horror movies. Not only was it not scary, it wasn't even remotely believable.From not leaving a specified missile launch target city to staying around til last minute for a doll of all things I was just in shock at how annoying a plot line can be. I know horror movies aren't the best at chasing the realistic side of things, but this one didn't even try.As far as actual scare tactics, I didn't even feel a sense the daughter was fully possessed or even under some spell, which is what made other spirit movies horrifying to me (i.e. babadook). The ghost itself didn't even seem to be malevolent, and because I didn't feel any pressing danger, I couldn't even allow myself to feel tense or scared.For what it was, it was an okay done movie, acting all around was decent, only gold star goes to the daughter who really knocked it out of the park. Is it scary? No. Is it a good commentary on the political nature of women in the middle east? sure. Would I recommend it to a friend? No.Waiting and waiting for something to happen and it just didn't come.