Alireza Rastjoo

So, “Critical Zone” is one of those films that gets under your skin before you even realize it’s happening. Alireza Rastjoo, who’s behind this wild ride, doesn’t exactly pull any punches. The movie kind of drops you smack in the middle of Tehran’s late-night streets, following a dude who’s just trying to keep his head above water in a place that’s basically suffocating him. He’s a drug dealer, sure, but honestly, calling him that feels too simple—he’s more like a lifeline for a bunch of people just as lost as he is. You get these raw, jittery slices of life—he’s zipping around the city, meeting characters who are way more complex than they first seem, and every encounter feels like it might tip into chaos at any second. The film doesn’t really care about making things comfortable for you. The camera work is jagged, almost restless, with the city practically becoming a character itself—neon lights, weird shadows, the whole deal. The sound design is nuts, too, making you feel like you’re right there, swerving through Tehran’s backstreets at 3 a.m. And yeah, there’s this whole sense of paranoia humming under everything, like nobody’s ever really safe, not even for a second. It’s gritty, it’s messy, and it doesn’t serve up easy answers or Hollywood endings. Instead, you’re left with this gnawing feeling—like, what does it actually mean to survive in a place that keeps trying to choke the life out of you?