10 Best Iranian Movies To Watch On US Netflix, Ranked According To IMDb

Iran’s cinematic history has always been extremely rich. It’s no wonder that their movies have a huge influence on many directors and enjoy spots on Netflix. But what is particularly significant as a reason to watch movies from this specific country is to allow ethnic minorities to make their representation felt.

In a way, movies let the viewers get to know the people in question better. It’s inspiring how Iranian filmmakers can complete an entire movie without utilizing any set construction as such, something that remains crucial to most movies otherwise.

10 Snowman (1995) – 6.9

Despite giving rise to controversy, the movie was still one of the highest grossing Iranian movies at that time. Abbas tries to escape Iran and go to America via Turkey. However, his plans fall through as the US Embassy keeps denying him access. Finally, Abbas decides to pretend to be a woman and marry an American man and then travel to the US together with him. But true love gets in his way, what will he do now? Leave or stay?

9 Santouri (2007) – 7.5

Ali doesn’t give up on his decision to make a career out of playing the santour (a musical instrument of Iranian origins) even when his family threatens to abandon him. In fact, with time he grows from a humble musician to a famous personality all by his own efforts. Around the same time, he falls in love and gets married to Hanieh. But then he starts getting addicted to drugs and from there onwards his descent begins.

Mehrjui’s leaves a powerful impact on the viewers as they helplessly watch Ali ruining his personal life and career. His wife also leaves him, reduced to a nobody from a noble, he sleeps outside like a homeless tramp. Eventually, his family finds him and sends him to a rehabilitation centre. The movie draws a parallel between drug abuse as a social evil that was widespread in Iran during the time.

8 A Time For Drunken Horses (2000) – 7.7

An unflinching narration of survival against all odds, in the harshest of conditions. Bahman Ghobadi makes no direct comment on the political scenario of the nation, but the dire circumstances in which the three siblings find themselves in seem to scream at us about minority rights. Their parents are dead and their youngest sibling, Madi suffers from a terminal illness with very little chance of recovery even after surgery. But the two siblings love their brother and would stop at nothing in their attempt to raise the cost of that surgery.

7 Baran (2001) – 7.8

In a construction site near the border of Afghanistan in Iran, 17 year-old Lateef works as the tea boy. He is lazy and likes working less than he is asked to. But everything in his carefree life changes when he meets fellow Afghani labourer Rehmat. Initially full of resentment and hatred towards the newcomer, he discovers the secret about Rehmat’s identity.

In a society where it is already considered taboo to let anyone hire illegal refugees, one can only imagine the terrible fate that awaits Rehmat and her family if they are caught in the act of their deception. Although portraying the hardships within Iranian society at the time, Majidi creates yet another beautiful romantic fable in this.

6 The Cow (1969) – 8

Perhaps one of the most influential movies that inspired the Iranian New Wave, the movie revolves around Hassan, a simple villager who loves his cow dearly. When his cow dies suddenly, he is unable to believe the news. The movie depicts Iran’s socioeconomic and political conditions through the psychological descent of Hassan into madness as he struggles to come to terms with reality.

The bitter realization slowly settles on him that his cow is never coming back. The next day, he starts grunting and making animalistic noises, crying out in anguish “I’m not Hassan. I’m Hassan’s cow.” Unsettling to watch, this movie deals with the aftermath of wars and presents an allegory of how it leads to complete psychological disintegration and existential crisis, pushing an ordinary man to turn into a “beast” out of desperation.

5 Bashu, The Little Stranger (1988) 8.1

Set during the aftermath of the Iran-Iraqi war, this movie shows the journey of a little boy as he escapes his village and tries to survive after his parents were killed. Characteristic of Beizai’s movies, this one explores heavy issues such as the futility of war and the prevalent racism among the Iranian society.

Saved and adopted by a middle-aged woman who already has two children of her own to protect, the movie touches upon ethnic disparities sensitively and despite the obvious cultural differences as well as language barrier, the strong personality of Naii stands out like a beacon of hope as the two gradually warm up to each other.

4 Turtles Can Fly (2004) – 8.1

Awaiting the US army invasion, young children with nowhere to go brace themselves for the imminent violence and danger at the border of Iraq and Turkey. Among the group of delinquents, a young boy of 13 years old called Satellite is the leader. He organizes the rest of the children in clearing the minefield in return for a meager amount of ration.

Satellite starts liking another young girl who lives with her sibling and a toddler. Burdened by their traumatic pasts, the children only know one thing, to make it till the next day alive. But as the movie goes on, the relationship between them becomes more complex and emotional. Ghobadi makes an exceptional study of the predicament of the Kurdish community while also depicting the horrors of war through this movie.

3 A Separation (2011) – 8.3

The first Iranian movie to ever win an Oscar, it shows the problems faced by a married couple on the verge of separation. Farhadi uses this medium to comment on the legal difficulties in obtaining a divorce and the socio-political situation of the country itself. The main conflict arises because Simin wants to move out of the country to build a more fulfilling life for their daughter, whereas, Nader is reluctant to leave his ailing elderly father alone.

Quite as expected, immigration policies in the country is a major hurdle to overcome along with the societal pressures that the couple faces while trying to divorce as a liberal upper-class family in contrast with the more conservative ideals of the secondary couple of Razieh and Hojjat. Both personal and political, this movie is a masterpiece in its precise delivery and perhaps only comparable to Farhadi’s The Salesman.

2 Children Of Heaven (1997) – 8.3

Majid Majidi’s most popular movie deals with the heartwarming tale of two siblings. Young Ali accidentally loses the new pair of his sister’s shoes and despite searching it everywhere, he fails to retrieve it. They are a family of four and living in the impoverished parts of southern Tehran, there is no way that they can afford to get another pair of shoes for his sister Zehra.

However,  the movie doesn’t dwell on this loss, instead, with a life affirming zeal it shows the determination of the brother to find a way to bring his sister a new pair of shoes. Ultimately, Ali enrolls himself in a foot race with the hopes of winning the red shoes which are put up as a prize. The beauty of this movie is in its simplicity and the innocence of the two children as they try in their own ways to lessen the burden on their parents.

1 Bekas (2012) – 8.5

Zana and Dana are two homeless children who live in Iraq, at the brink of their survival. The movie opens with the two children peeping into a cinema hall through a hole in the wall and catching a glimpse of Superman. They decide they would travel to America and live with Superman.

Both sensitive and innocent, this movie is based on the fantasy of two children roaming the lands of a war-torn country. When everything is taken away from people, the only thing that still motivates them to go on are their dreams and these two little protagonists are full of hope as they plan their near-impossible escape to the land of dreams.

About The Author