It Was Just an Accident is a story about revenge, uncertainty and the heavy weight of memory. Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri) is an Azerbaijani auto mechanic who once served time in prison and was blindfolded during interrogation. One night, a man arrives at his workshop: a one-legged driver who speaks to his mother on the phone. Vahid becomes convinced that the man is his former torturer, Eghbal (Ebrahim Azizi). Vahid kidnaps him. He then ropes in a small group of friends and former cellmates including Shiva (Mariam Afshari) and Hamid (Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr). They drive into the night, interrogate him, search for confirmation. Some seek vengeance. Others want truth. The question becomes: can they identify the man for sure? And if they can, what then?
What works in It Was Just an Accident is its stark tension, the ethical maze at the core, and the glint of dark humor that keeps the story limping forward rather than collapsing under its own weight. Mobasseri’s Vahid is remarkable. He shows a man haunted by the past, but also capable of brutal action. Afshari, Azizi and Elyasmehr join him in performances that feel raw, lived-in and full of conflicting impulses. Jafar Panahi’s (This Is Not a Film) direction is clinical yet deeply human. He traps us inside a van, a desert road, a series of interrogations that stretch our nerves. We feel the squeak of the prosthetic leg, the anxious silence, the blindfolded memories. Panahi uses these elements not as shocks but as psychological triggers. He builds atmosphere through sound and suspicion. The moral questions keep embedding themselves in the viewer’s mind: who is this man? What does justice look like when trauma is anonymous? The film refuses easy answers. And that is part of its power.
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People who are squeamish about torture, long-term trauma or sustained discomfort may not enjoy It Was Just an Accident as much as others. The narrative includes former prisoners haunted by a faceless tormentor, forced confrontations and emotional exhaustion. The film delivers these scenes without relief. It asks viewers to sit with the pain. If you prefer a more straightforward thriller with clear heroes or catharsis, this film will feel heavier. It also plays out in real time, mostly with constrained settings and mounting pressure, so the pace never lets up. That kind of intensity is intentional, but it is not for everyone.
It Was Just an Accident is a superb film. It deserves attention this awards season. With Panahi’s craft, a standout cast, and a scenario that tightens its grip long after the credits, it stays with you. It’s morally complex, emotionally punishing, yet strangely exhilarating. Highly recommended.
Recommended if you enjoyed: Prisoners, A Simple Favor, Enemy
It Was Just an Accident is now available for rent or purchase on most digital platforms.
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