Scales

Name: Scales
Genre: Drama, Mystery
Released: July 9, 2021
Duration: 74 min
Rating: 72
Cast: Abdulaziz Shtian, Ali Abdallah Al Kamzari, Basima Hajjar, Fathi Ahmad All Kamzari, Ibrahim Al-Hasawi

2021

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Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Critic Reviews

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Scales

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Movie Details & Credits

Variance Films | Release Date: July 9, 2021 | Not Rated

Starring: Abdulaziz Shtian, Ali Abdallah Al Kamzari, Basima Hajjar, Fathi Ahmad All Kamzari, Ibrahim Al-Hasawi, Mohammed Tareq Al Shehhi, Osama Suheil Al Zarafi, Rida Ismail, Walid Khalid Dawood, Yagoub Alfarhan

Summary: Set in a dystopian landscape, Scales is the story of a young strong-willed girl, Hayat, who lives in a poor fishing village governed by a dark tradition in which every family must give one daughter to the sea creatures who inhabit the waters nearby. In turn the sea creatures are hunted by the men of the village. Saved from this fate by herSet in a dystopian landscape, Scales is the story of a young strong-willed girl, Hayat, who lives in a poor fishing village governed by a dark tradition in which every family must give one daughter to the sea creatures who inhabit the waters nearby. In turn the sea creatures are hunted by the men of the village. Saved from this fate by her father, Hayat is considered a curse on the village and grows up an outcast. Nevertheless, she does not surrender to this fate and fights for a place within her village. After her mother gives birth to a baby boy, Hayat must accept the brutal custom of giving herself to the sea creatures or finding a way to escape.… Expand

Director: Shahad Ameen

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 74 min

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Critic Reviews

Joe Morgenstern

Jul 8, 2021

It tests your tolerance for ambiguity as well as your visual acuity. Yet the spell it casts justifies the intense anxiety it creates by depicting a black-and-white society in which men have worth and women don’t. Read full review

Andrew Crump

Jul 8, 2021

Scales is a grim movie as much as it’s a gorgeous one. It isn’t without hope, but hope is in short supply, on land and underwater. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Monica Castillo

Jul 9, 2021

While some elements of the story don’t work as well as the visual playground Ameen sets up for her characters, Scales is still an impressive feature debut. Read full review

Alissa Simon

Jul 8, 2021

With its glittering black-and-white cinematography, immersive sound design, eerie score and creepy reveal, the film taps into something primal and chilling, with the taut first third particularly strong. But the narrative’s momentum and clarity dissipate in the middle and final sections even as the visuals continue to impress. Still, the boldly inventive Scales marks Ameen as a talent to watch. Read full review

Bilge Ebiri

Jul 9, 2021

Saudi director Shahad Ameen’s mesmerizingly bleak fable Scales accomplishes something many films attempt but generally bungle: It tells a highly symbolic tale while conveying recognizable human emotions. Read full review

The Film Stage Orla Smith

Jul 8, 2021

With a more patient script that’s richer in character detail, Scales could have been breathtaking. As it stands, it’s a slight visual feast. Read full review

Beatrice Loayza

Jul 8, 2021

Ameen prioritizes symbolism teeming with sensory spirit over plot-based narrative, which ultimately renders her attempt at making a political statement too opaque and disjointed to have much of an impact. Read full review

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