I love independent films and was intrigued by the idea of this film when I heard about it. I liked the setting of the film being in Saudi Arabia and wondered what changes that would bring culturally. After watching the movie, I found it a compelling thriller with a brilliant ending.
Unidentified is a thriller movie directed by Haifaa al-Mansour and co-written by al-Mansour and Brad Niemann. In the film, set in Saudi Arabia, a true crime aficionado Nawal (Mila Al Zahrani) is working in a police station helping scan and digitize paper records. One day she is asked to assist with a crime scene by her boss because the female officer is out for the day. They find a young teenage girl with no identification. In order to put the case to rest or solve it, they must find out the identity of the girl. Having recently lost a child, Nawal resolves to identify the body of the teenage girl found in the desert outside a small town. She investigates, despite orders from her superiors, tracking down the identity of the girl but will knowing who the girl is help solve the mystery of her death?
What makes Unidentified so compelling are two factors. First, there are strict gender roles in Saudi Arabia and women are expected to behave a certain way. This film explores how gender plays a part in the death of the girl and also in how Nawal is treated both by the men around her but also by the women who are trying to behave within the guidelines of the culture. Nawal does not behave as expected and her methods bring difficulties to her door but she persists until she finds answers. The second factor that makes this an interesting film is how believable it is because tracking down someone unknown is difficult work. The work Nawal does is persistent, determined and shows how complex it is to solve a case involving an unidentified body no matter what part of the world you are in.
I also really liked the inclusion of true crime podcasts to help shine a light on the thriller aspects of the film. The podcast helps point out clues to who the teenage girl is and how Nawal uses the media to track down what happened to her. The podcast is also used to create a twist that completely changes how the entire case is seen at the conclusion of the movie. I won’t share the twist but if you like true crime, it is incredible writing.
Mila Al Zharani is compelling as Nawal. She is unstoppable in tracking down the identity of the girl and as an actress she gives an emotional performance. She creates a character that is intelligent and determined. And her interactions with the others around her creates a compelling thriller mystery that keeps me on the edge of my seat. The other actors are equally good but it is Mila Al Zharani that carries the film and is the focus.
If you like thriller mysteries, this is one of the best I’ve seen. I never saw the twist at the end coming and yet, all the clues to the truth are sprinkled throughout the film. While it is slow in some moments, the film is compelling, the acting is incredible and the writing is believable, complex and explores the treatment of women in a male dominated culture. I highly recommend this movie for the women, how they are treated, how they act and the ultimate truth to the fate of the unidentified girl.
Rating: 4.5 silver cars out of 5.
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