I really liked the story and the concept of Sheikh Jackson. It's a daring film with a bold approach, exploring the tension between deep religious faith and personal identity. That kind of theme is not something you often see in cinema from this region, and it made the film stand out for me.
What's remarkable is how the film treats this inner conflict with empathy. It doesn't mock religion, nor does it glamorize rebellion. Instead, it presents a deeply human experience - the struggle of reconciling who we once were with who we are expected to become.
I think Ahmed El-Fishawy gave a really strong performance. You can feel his confusion, guilt, and longing without him needing to say much. That internal conflict inside him was powerful and believable.
But here's where things started to fall apart for me - the way the film tried to balance realism with surreal, dreamlike moments didn't quite work. The hallucinations of Michael Jackson, which were supposed to show how haunted the character is by his past, felt a bit cheap and awkward. Instead of adding depth, those moments broke the immersion.
Another issue I had was with the way the story developed, especially toward the end. It felt like there were missing justifications, excuses, or reasons - the viewer is almost forced to fill in those gaps, rather than being shown naturally through the story.
So for me, the biggest weakness was in the directing - the translation of what was written into visuals and scenes didn't always land. The emotional core was strong, but the way it was presented on screen didn't fully support it.
Still, I admire the film for what it tried to do. It was brave.
