What I was most impressed with by A Hero is that the hero in question didn’t stop a robbery, prevent a terrorist bombing, or save the president. He just decided to return a handbag full of money. But that’s enough… that’s enough to be a hero, to possibly change his life, and to get his freedom and honor back. I like this film’s believable stakes… it’s got the drama but it doesn’t need the melodrama or the action or high stakes to tell a compelling story.

The movie is about an Iranian man in prison for debt who is released for a couple of days. He ultimately comes into possession of a handbag with gold in it and decides to return it to its owner. This makes him a local celebrity and might net him enough money to pay off those debts. But maybe not everything is as it seems and slowly things begin to unravel.

Drama. This is pure yet low-key drama that is somehow immensely suspenseful without even seeming to try. It’s a remarkable juggling act. One that I would compare to Uncut Gems… and while that movie is brilliant at ratcheting up the tension and has all the acting, this one takes a lower key approach. A starker, more realistic approach.

And this might be dull for some but I was engrossed. It just feels so normal, so average… and yet I was often in low-key stress and paranoia mode. Because the director knows how to turn the mundane into something more without the usual film techniques. There are no dramatic stings on the soundtrack, no close-ups of shifty eyes or beads of sweat, there are no sudden reveals that come out of nowhere. There are surprises, but they feel natural. Normal.

Really impressed by this film’s ability to be greater than it appears on the page or in any given frame. Excellent acting from some very charismatic actors, a tight script, and a disinterest in the usual tropes of a suspenseful drama. Quite fascinating.

Score: 86