The film directed by Matty Brown and available on Netflix, is a stunning debut feature in Arabic, first shown at the Red Sea Film Festival in Saudi Arabia.
The story follows a family trapped on an island with a lighthouse, who have to cope with a disturbing reality that is fully revealed only at the end of the film.
The director mixes dark themes with childhood innocence as the parents (played by Nadine Labaki and Ziad Bakri) try to maintain a semblance of normalcy for their children, Jana and Adam.
However, the daily struggle to survive hints that they have been abandoned on the island, possibly due to a failed attempt to illegally immigrate elsewhere.
The film is visually stunning and emotionally absorbing, with a renowned technical team, including sound designer Martín Hernández (The Reborn), editor Nacho Ruiz Capillas (The Others) and composer West Dylan Thordson (Multiple).
Brown's direction immerses the viewer in a chaotic and disturbing atmosphere, which intensifies until the denouement.
Although the lack of clear answers may generate negative criticism in many, the conclusion of the film offers a revelation that invites to revisit the story with a new perspective because it is too deep, it is not easy to follow as it lacks a logical plot.
Everything that happens seems to be a figment of the imagination of a child living in wartime, as they say, but even that interpretation is not clear after watching it.
