A Brother's Revenge: A Haunting, Low-Key Melodrama

Is it worth your time?

If you like your dramas with a side of supernatural dread, maybe. If you want something snappy and modern, stay far away. This isn't a polished flick. It feels more like a fever dream you had after falling asleep in front of an old projector.

Honestly, the pacing is all over the place. One minute we are watching a standard romance, the next we are trapped in a weird, suffocating loop of grief. It’s heavy. Like, really heavy.

The vibe

There’s this one shot of a dusty window frame that lasts way too long. I found myself counting the specks of dirt. Maybe it was intentional? Maybe the editor just took a long coffee break. Either way, it works in a strange, hypnotic kind of way.

The acting from Ebrahim Moradi feels grounded, almost like he’s actually terrified of his own shadow. You don't see that kind of raw panic in big studio movies these days. They usually just use CGI to make you jump. Here, it’s just a look in the eye.

I couldn't help but compare the feeling to the isolation found in Perdida. It’s got that same sense of being trapped by the past, though this one leans much harder into the ghost story angle. 👻

The weird stuff

The middle act sags a bit. There is a lot of walking around in rooms that feel slightly too empty. Sometimes the dialogue feels like it was written in a different language and then put through a blender, but it adds to the disorientation.

• The lighting is surprisingly moody.
• The score sounds like a broken record, in a good way.
• The ending hits like a brick, even if you see it coming from a mile away.

If you enjoy films like La spirale della morte for their grim, uncompromising nature, you’ll probably find something to chew on here. It isn't a masterpiece. It isn't even perfectly made. But it’s got a pulse.

It’s the kind of movie that makes you want to turn the lights back on once the credits roll. Not because it’s scary, but because it’s just so damn sad. 🎞️