Antar Effendi: A dusty, dramatic throwback that earns its keep

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for sweeping, slightly melodramatic stories from the golden age of Egyptian cinema, you'll probably enjoy Antar Effendi. It isn't a tight thriller, so don't go in expecting pacing that feels like a modern action flick. If you get bored easily by long, dialogue-heavy scenes or actors who gesture like they're trying to reach the back row of a theater, you'll likely want to skip this one entirely.

I sat down with this one on a rainy Tuesday, and honestly, the sheer commitment to the bit is impressive. Mokhtar Osman really leans into the gravity of the title role. Sometimes he leans a little too far, but that’s the charm, right?

The desert has a lot to say

There is a specific scene near the middle where the characters stand around arguing about tribal honor for what felt like an eternity. I checked my watch twice. The wind kept blowing sand across the frame, which was actually kind of nice to look at, but the dialogue just kept churning along.

It’s not as polished as something like Tartuffe, but it has a different kind of heart. Estafan Rosti is in this, and whenever he shows up, the energy shifts completely. He has this way of looking at the camera that makes you think he knows something we don’t.

• The costumes are surprisingly detailed, even if the fabric looks a bit stiff.
• I swear the same background rock shows up in four different locations.
• The soundtrack has this recurring melody that got stuck in my head for three days.
• The sword fights aren't exactly Lord of the Rings quality, but they have a certain clunky sincerity.

A bit of a mixed bag

There are moments where the film tries to be as grand as The Land of the Pygmies, but the budget clearly hits a wall. You can tell when they run out of steam. The transitions between scenes are often abrupt, almost like they just cut the film with scissors and hoped for the best. 🤷‍♂️

Watching Antar Effendi feels like digging through an old trunk in an attic. You find some beautiful things, some dusty things, and a few things that probably should have stayed buried. But there’s a soul to it. It’s not trying to be a sleek, modern product. It’s just trying to tell a story about a guy who really, really wants to prove himself.

I didn’t hate the melodrama. In fact, by the time the finale rolled around, I was kinda rooting for the guy. Even if he does spend half the movie looking very stressed out. 🏜️