A wealthy Iranian family struggles to contain a teenager's growing sexual rebellion and her brother's dangerous obsession.
It's languorously filmed and insightful on life in Tehran but let down by an erratic plot turn.
Keshavarz uses a trowel to feed us her ideas about living under a repressive regime when all you required was a teaspoon. But she has enough promise to keep you curious for her next offering – if she can just get a lighter grip on the ladle.
A lush, insightful drama.
Circumstance lays bare the religious, sexual and social tensions in contemporary Iranian society. The film also has enough lyricism and a sense of irony not to seem overly didactic.
Crude and predictable but nevertheless affecting.
Circumstance bravely depicts the political plight of independent young women in Iran, a timely and worthwhile subject somewhat let down by two-dimensional storytelling.
Maryam Keshavarz: 'In Iran, anything illegal becomes politically subversive'
'Iran's women like to kick up the dirt a little'
General release. Check local listings for show times.