Cairo Conspiracy
Samuel Goldwyn Films | Release Date: January 27, 2023 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
72
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
The PlaylistJihane BousfihaMay 25, 2022
Saleh’s film works on many different levels because it’s a layered blend of various elements from different genres. He has crafted a spy thriller that succeeds as a coming-of-age narrative and can also be an entertaining film that keeps you captivated up until the final breathtaking moments. Read full review
88
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanFeb 7, 2023
It is an engrossing tale, full of betrayal and chicanery, and it casts the Egyptian political-military complex and the religious hierarchy as riddled with corruption. Read full review
80
The Observer (UK)Xan BrooksApr 16, 2023
Tarik Saleh’s political saga turns progressively knottier and more claustrophobic, almost to a fault. But it’s also horribly tense, richly textured and showcases a terrific supporting performance from Fares as the tale’s shadowy Thomas Cromwell figure. Read full review
80
The Irish TimesTara BradyApr 14, 2023
A deserving winner of the best screenplay at Cannes last year, this nail-biting drama is offset by Barhom’s terrific wide-eyed performance. The gorgon’s knot of political and religious machinations add distinctive hues to a genre piece with shades of All the President’s Men and The Name of the Rose. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesMichael RechtshaffenJan 30, 2023
The inherent backstage machinations and underlying corruption and hypocrisy that go with the church/state backdrop may not be unfamiliar territory, but Saleh, who controversially took on the 2011 Egyptian revolution in his acclaimed 2017 political thriller, “The Nile Hilton Incident,” keeps it all quite compelling. Read full review
80
The GuardianPeter BradshawMay 25, 2022
It’s a movie that is boldly anti-clerical, juxtaposing the spectacle of faith with a hidden reality of corruption and hypocrisy – although in the final act I sensed that it perhaps did not quite have the courage of its satirical convictions. Read full review
75
IndieWireSophie Monks KaufmanMay 25, 2022
Boy From Heaven wants to offer up a character study of a young Muslim man who ends up in hell and keeps going. Sadly, a deep and meaningful portrait of Adam is forgotten as the film — like the state officials it depicts — prioritizes functionality above all else. Read full review
70
The New York TimesGlenn KennyJan 26, 2023
Cairo Conspiracy is a measured but unsparing portrait of corruption perpetrated by people who, across the board, are utterly confident of their own rectitude. Its denouement offers some mercy, but zero hope that the rot depicted can be corrected. Read full review
70
Screen DailyWendy IdeMay 25, 2022
Boy From Heaven is an ambitiously complex story of religious espionage. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerMay 25, 2022
It’s a familiar template, and Saleh’s direction can veer toward the heavy-handed in places, but it’s also an intriguingly damning portrait of the corruption currently hitting Egypt on all levels. Read full review
67
The Film StageLuke HicksMay 25, 2022
Though struggling with some pacing issues, it’s mostly an engaging, well-performed drama that offers a fascinating peek into an institution matched in significance only by the Vatican itself. Read full review
60
Little White LiesCharles BramescoApr 12, 2023
Western media has trained us to brace for the worst in works engaging with the fanatical corners of Islam, and so the ground-level sobriety in Saleh’s treatment lands as a blessing all its own. Read full review
60
Time OutWhelan BarzeyMar 27, 2023
Cairo Conspiracy doesn’t quite deliver the dazzling fireworks its promises, but it’s still a thought-provoking watch. Read full review
60
VarietyPeter DebrugeMay 25, 2022
What we’re dealing with here is a fairly conventional political thriller — think “House of Cards,” minus the sleek David Fincher aesthetic or much in the way of suspense — set in a world no one has dared to explore on screen before now. Read full review
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