Another vacuous melodrama/thriller that doesn't lay a glove on the era's historical complexities.
Septembers of Shiraz
Based on true events
2015 · 1h 50m · PG-13
Drama, Thriller
Directed by
Wayne Blair
Free account saves your watchlist and ratings.
Septembers of Shiraz
Overview
In this adaptation of the critically acclaimed debut novel by Iranian American author Dalia Sofer, a secular Jewish family is caught up in the maelstrom of the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
Long on cardboard characterizations and short on genuine tension.
It's a movie whose good heart is outweighed by its heavy hand.
Heavy with earnest good intentions but too underpowered and oddly packaged to deliver the emotional gut punch its subject demands, Septembers of Shiraz is a disappointing misfire.
This autobiographically inspired tale of a wealthy Jewish family in Tehran suffering under Iran's shift to fundamentalist Islam, which played in print as hard-hitting but nuanced, now feels like a simplistic, somewhat pandering melodrama.
More films
Not Without My Daughter (1991)
Drama · Thriller · PG-13
An American woman, trapped in Islamic Iran by her brutish husband, must find a way to escape with her daughter as well.
- Runtime
- 1h 56m
- Director
- Brian Gilbert
- Cast
- Sally Field, Alfred Molina, Sheila Rosenthal
Argo (2012)
Drama · Thriller · R
As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA 'exfiltration' specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador.
- Runtime
- 2h
- Director
- Ben Affleck
- Cast
- Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, John Goodman
Escape from Pretoria (2020)
Drama · History · Thriller · PG-13
South Africa, 1978. Tim Jenkin and Stephen Lee, two white political activists from the African National Congress imprisoned by the apartheid regime, put a plan in motion to escape from the infamous Pretoria Prison.
- Runtime
- 1h 42m
- Cast
- Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Webber, Ian Hart
Freedom Writers (2007)
Crime · Drama · PG-13
A young teacher inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school.
- Runtime
- 2h 3m
- Director
- Richard LaGravenese
- Cast
- Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Glenn
Room (2015)
Drama · Thriller · R
Held captive for 7 years in an enclosed space, a woman and her young son finally gain their freedom, allowing the boy to experience the outside world for the first time.
- Runtime
- 1h 58m
- Director
- Lenny Abrahamson
- Cast
- Brie Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Crime · Drama · Thriller · R
Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as...
- Runtime
- 1h 59m
- Director
- Jonathan Demme
- Cast
- Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn
Philadelphia (1993)
Drama · PG-13
Two lawyers join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination. As their unlikely friendship develops, their courage overcomes the prejudice and corruption of their powerful adversaries.
- Runtime
- 2h 6m
- Director
- Jonathan Demme
- Cast
- Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Jason Robards
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Mystery · Thriller · R
Years after his squad was ambushed during the Gulf War, Major Ben Marco finds himself having terrible nightmares. He begins to doubt that his fellow squad-mate Sergeant Raymond Shaw, now a vice-presidential candidate, is the hero he remembers him being. As Marco's doubts deepen, Shaw's political power grows, and, when Marco finds a mys...
- Runtime
- 2h 10m
- Director
- Jonathan Demme
- Cast
- Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Liev Schreiber
Stop Making Sense (1984)
Documentary · Music · PG
A concert film documenting Talking Heads at the height of their popularity, on tour for their 1983 album "Speaking in Tongues." The band takes the stage one by one and is joined by a cadre of guest musicians for a career-spanning and cinematic performance that features creative choreography and visuals.
- Runtime
- 1h 28m
- Director
- Jonathan Demme
- Cast
- David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison
Something Wild (1986)
Comedy · Crime · Romance · R
A free-spirited woman "kidnaps" a yuppie for a weekend of adventure. But the fun quickly takes a dangerous turn when her ex-con husband shows up.
- Runtime
- 1h 54m
- Director
- Jonathan Demme
- Cast
- Jeff Daniels, Melanie Griffith, Ray Liotta










Comments
Talk about the film with other members