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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 movie directed by ali which is a saudi actor+director

i've never seen his directing work but after this movie i will definitely follow him, the way he moved from a scene to anoother and shooting in the dark and gives us the best scenes possible it's hard but he managed to do it perfectly, the rain and the roads, every scene was shooted perfectly however i have a note which is, in action scenes with the music we're thrilled and excited, then the scene will be moved immediately to a chilling scene

the acting staff is amazing, fahad-sara-maha-and the alcahol gang, everyone acting is so professional

I'll see it again definitely and congratulation everyone on this great work, proud of this saudi movie 🙏

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" offers a compelling narrative set, skillfully intertwining themes of desperation and opportunity. The film's strength lies in its portrayal of Fahad Algadaani, a mentally fragile protagonist racing against time to rescue his ailing father. The director adeptly captures the pulse of the city, creating a palpable sense of urgency. However, certain plot elements could have been explored more deeply, leaving room for a richer emotional connection with the characters, and the script is poor with no strong dialogues which left the viewer overthinking about every details which may lead to negative effect on the movie. Furthermore the ending was straight forward with no tension or buildup leaving the audience in shock of how its ended in the peak of the story!

Despite this, "Mandoob" succeeds in delivering a gripping tale that sheds light on the complexities of familial bonds in the face of adversity.

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.