Alkhallat+ review: A satirical, tight-knit black comedy

Alkhallat+ is an Arabic movie that tells four stories about people from different backgrounds. Each of these stories is marred by deception and trickery.

Story

The film opens with the preparations for the wedding. Turky encounters a tire thief when he leaves his room for a puff. Faysal, the tire thief, and his companions attempt to flee. However, in order to save both himself and the other companion, one of his companions makes the decision to deceive him.

One of Faysal’s companions suggests rescuing him because Faysal may reveal their involvement in the theft as well. After that, they return to the wedding venue and put into action a flawed strategy to save Faysal. In front of Turky and the others who kept Faysal in jail, a friend of Faysal also serves as his attorney. The other friend panics at the thought of being discovered.

Faysal and his companions are apprehended by the police after almost fleeing. A police van is used to transport them. The phrase “He who has a trick in their bag, they shall use it” appears before the movie’s title at the story’s conclusion. Alkhallat+ continues on with its second story.

Sara, a chef working at a five-star hotel, is the subject of the second story. She hosts a dinner party at this hotel for her parents. Sara is able to assist her soon-to-be-divorced parents in finding affection in the company of one another with the assistance of her colleague. However, when her manager returns, the situation deteriorates.

Sara’s parents are currently seated at the table that was previously set aside for another customer. The manager is eager to impress the other client, a high-profile figure. However, Sara is able to decline their reservation and leave the parents’ table with the assistance of her colleague. Sara’s parents attempt to rekindle their relationship throughout the evening, but they behave indecently at the hotel.

Sara’s manager discovers the deception after numerous ups and downs throughout the evening. Sara’s manager encourages her to participate in the process of reuniting her parents rather than firing her right away. Sara returns to express her gratitude to her manager following the dinner plan’s success.

Despite her gratitude, Sara is aware that she has been fired from her job. Her manager emphasizes that the hotel is not for charitable purposes but rather for good deeds.

The third story in Alkhallat+ opens with a woman mourning the loss of her husband, Fahd. Hamad, Fahd’s best friend and another victim of the accident, only sustains a fracture, so he visits his deceased friend. Hamad, on the other hand, only wants to get Fahd’s phone back.

Mrs. Reem begins to doubt Hamad’s actions. She overhears him discussing unlocking a phone with a friend. Mrs. Reem grabs Fahd’s phone and uses face recognition to unlock it. In order to unlock the phone, she manages to put her deceased husband’s glasses on.

Mrs. Reem comes across as “Noor” as a result. Hamad, on the other hand, rushes to Noor’s house to prevent her from receiving calls from Fahd’s phone. He is aware that Mrs. Reem now has phone access.

Mrs. Reem and Hamad confront one another in front of Noor’s house after much commotion. Hamad keeps making excuses, but none of them work. In the scene that ends Alkhallat+, a few men pray for “two men and a woman.” It is believed that Hamad passed away as well, but the woman’s identity is unknown.

Khaled and his son Saud are the subjects of the final story. Mr. Khaled travels to a posh hotel with his wife and two children. He only checks in with his wife, though. He sneaks his older son and younger daughter in. Saud is a teenager whose relationship with his father is not particularly pleasant.

When everyone is asleep at night, Saud learns that Captain Abdullah, a famous player, is staying in the same hotel as him. Saud sneaks out and goes to a party in the in-house club.

Saud is also taken inside the club amid the bustle of the crowd. Khaled awakens and discovers that Saud has vanished. He quickly locates Saud’s location and enters the club himself. Khaled and Saud almost engage in a game of hide-and-seek.

When Saud’s mother arrives to locate the father and son duo, the chase comes to an end. They are made public as a result of Khaled’s younger daughter, despite the fact that the pair managed to avoid capture on paper.

Performances

Alkhallat+ has assembled an excellent cast. The actors in this movie have portrayed unconventional yet relatable roles. Ibraheem Alkhairallah and Mohammed Aldokhei command sturdy screen presence while doing the humorous script full justice.

Positives

Alkhallat+ has an excellent plot. The dialogues are replete with dark humor. Both the dialogue delivery and the direction are cleverly woven together. The direction of the movie is commendable as well. The swift camera cuts add to the slapstick comedy.

The seamless transitions between stories are admirable. The stories are interesting and reflective of reality, carrying an essence of relatability. The acting makes the silent scenes better, even in shots with no dialogue and just music. The soundtracks are great additions that make certain sequences enjoyable to watch.

Negatives

The stories may have been satirical but in the second story, the depth of emotion stole the overall shade of black humor. Certain characters, whose role is vital for the plot, are left unnamed.

Even if the characters are just given nicknames for the audience’s convenience, there are some nameless characters whose identities ought to have been made public. The minor detailing helps to keep the audience engaged further.

Verdict

Alkhallat+ is a satirical, tight-knit black comedy. The four stories of people whose lives have gone down diverse roads have been combined to form a great narrative. The film is a reality check with a dash of dark humor, which makes it a rather enjoyable watch.

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