Mandoob

Taxi Driver meets Nightcrawler on the incessantly rainy streets of Riyadh?!....who would've thought!

A novel glimpse into the gig-economy and colliding worlds of a modern-day Saudi Arabia, told through the eyes of an unhinged delivery driver, selling bootlegged alcohol to fulfil his patriarchal duties as family caretaker.

Lead actor delivers a compelling performance and cinematographer does very well to capture the tension and frenzy of most scenes; a respectable effort from a nascent Saudi movie industry waking up from a 35 year slumber.

That said, director was seemingly overcome by the duration of a feature film, and many peripheral scenes or moments were overly drawn out. The script too was heavily lacking in depth, character development and authenticity. This exacerbated an erratic and seemingly random build-up and dissipation of tension throughout the movie, culminating in a disappointing ending. To make things worse, the subtitling felt like the work of an impubescent first-timer who cared more about flaunting his familiarity with American pie-esque profanity and bro culture, than delfty translating the original Arabic script - apparently an 82 year old History Professor jokes with his son and asks "do you even lift bro?" or in another scene, a cousin tells the lead actor to "calm his tits" when the original script had virtually nothing to do with that in meaning or context. Hard to see this beyond what it is: a publicity stunt showcasing a more "western" Saudi grappling with its "modernity".

This is a captivating movie that skillfully weaves together a compelling narrative, powerful performances, and stunning cinematography. The well-developed characters and thought-provoking storyline make it a must-watch, showcasing the talent and creativity emerging from the Saudi film industry. The movie reflects a cinematic renaissance within the film industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with Saudi directors and actors emerging strongly onto the artistic and cultural scene. I hope to see more cinematic productions like this in the coming period. The number of films in the artistic scene is still limited, but the ambitious aspirations persist.

Mandoob alleil is a Saudi movie directed by Ali Al kalthami , I watched it on theater , first of all, Great directing, and great performance by the star actor Mohammed Al dokhei, from the first. Minute of this movie you'll feel like it kinda looks like taxi driver but with some changing , I like it a lot, not boring at all and it's the best Saudi movie I've seen so far , I have seen Satar and some other Saudi movies but this movie feels like an American movie from the 70s , as a big fan of American movies, mandoob alleil is the only Arabic movie that feels like a true movie with no bad messages,

A MUST SEEN.

Mndoob alil directed by ali alkaltham

Frist of all the Cinematography is fabulous and amazing it's take you to another dimension and make your eyes stick to the screen until the end

The main ideas took a lot from taxi driver but not in a cheap way for me it's better than (taxi driver)

The vibes are very similar to (the joker 2019) and also (taxi driver) and Mohamed aldokhi did a really fine job in the leading role

I'm glad to see this film comes from Saudi Arabia make sure you watch it if you have chance i'm sure you will enjoy it and love it, at least you will never regret watching it xx.

Story narrative is the greatest yet of all Saudi movies, and some of Hollywood's as well.

A great story shows how far will a person go when they suffer. The risks they'll take, the troubles they'll get into, and how they'll get out of it. An underdog individual, how feels stuck in a society that he doesn't fit into.

The story is the highlight of the movie. Yet not to forget mentioning the great directing, the amazing soundtracks, coloring, performances, locations.

Mohammed Aldokhei's performance was remarkable, I was stunned to see what he was able to deliver!

It's definitely a must watch movie. Seeing it in theaters absolutely gave it another dimension.