Recommends - It Was Just An Accident

Few filmmakers have proved themselves to be as fearless and defiant as Iran's Jafar Panahi, a man who has spent the last 30 years documenting the daily injustices and harsh restrictions the Iranian people routinely face at the hands of the Iranian authorities. That he has done this while maintaining a playful sense of mischief and an eye for the absurd has ensured his acts of artistic resistance have been viewed and enjoyed far beyond the borders of his homeland. That delicate balance continues with It Was Just An Accident, an urgent, impassioned entertaining drama that won the Palme d'Or at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival,

The story begins when Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), a mechanic in a Tehran garage, is visited by Eghbal (Ebrahim Azizi) whose car has been in an accident. The distinctive squeak of Eghbal's prosthetic leg makes Vahid suspect the stranger is the sadist who tortured him in prison. Those suspicions are enough for Vahid to take Eghbal captive and dig him a grave in the desert. Before exacting revenge, however, he seeks confirmation from other casualties of "Peg Leg": a motley crew that includes a wedding photographer (Maryam Afshari), a bride-to-be (Hadis Pakbaten) and her groom (Majid Panahi). With hothead Hamid (Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr) also along for the ride, these unlikely avengers attempt to reach a consensus before the consequences of their actions catch up with them. 

What follows is a riveting moral thriller that unflinchingly addresses censorship, authoritarianism and human rights abuses, powered throughout by a relentless momentum and the indelible craft of a master auteur. Yet it is also a film that contrives to be deeply and movingly humane, not least in the way it derives dark humour from its knotty scenario.

It Was Just An Accident marks another tour de force from one of the few directors to have won top prize at Cannes, Venice and Berlin. Small wonder the film has been chosen to be France's official entry for the Best International Feature Film award at the 2026 Oscars, or that it's accrued a wealth of rave reviews from the likes of Time Out and The Guardian. With films like No Bears, 3 Faces and Taxi Tehran,Jafar Panahi squarely established himself as one of world cinema's boldest and bravest luminaries. His newest drama looks set to be one of the year's most talked-about releases – and that's no accident.  Neil Smith