Saagar Kote
Directed by Jafar Panahi, ‘It Was Just an Accident’ or ‘Yek tasadef sadeh’ follows Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), a mechanic burdened by a past of imprisonment, whose ordinary life is disrupted when he encounters Eghbal (Ebrahim Azizi). Vahid suspects Eghbal, an intelligence agent, is the jailhouse captor who subjected him to torture while the Iranian authorities incarcerated him. Driven by the need for certainty, Vahid kidnaps Eghbal to confirm his identity. The situation becomes more complicated when Vahid recruits former fellow prisoners to help identify the agent, leading them to transport Eghbal to an isolated area in a van.
As the former prisoners chaotically come to terms with the situation, they must also calculate the consequences of their redemption. The French-Iranian crime thriller drama film poignantly navigates themes of revenge, violence, meaning, and justice. The themes and philosophical debates of the narrative are reflected in these films, similar to ‘It Was Just an Accident,’ which will be worthy of your time.
10. Closet Land (1991)
‘Closet Land’ chronicles the trials and tribulations of a nameless children’s author (Madeleine Stowe), who suffers the consequences of expressing her views freely in an unnamed police state. Her works put her in the firing line of a strange interrogator (Alan Rickman), who targets her over the content of her book. Since she is suspected of promoting an anti-government narrative in her work through the portrayal of the punishment of a young girl, she is questioned by the interrogator.
When the two individuals on opposite sides of the law interact, it leads to unexpected revelations and challenges. Helmed by Radha Bharadwaj, the thriller-drama film reflects the political commentary, philosophical debates, and the cost of incarceration explored by ‘It Was Just an Accident.’ The films focus on characters who find themselves in difficult situations under detention.
9. Caché (2005)
‘Caché’ or ‘Hidden’ is the story of Anne Laurent (Juliette Binoche) and Georges Laurent (Daniel Auteuil), a couple whose lives, along with their son Pierrot Laurent (Lester Makedonsky), take an unexpected turn. Set in Paris, the French psychological thriller film follows the Laurents as they receive tapes containing footage of their home and the surroundings. The situation becomes even more confusing when they also encounter strange drawings. Georges takes it upon himself to find the potential stalker when the cops are not able to provide enough help. The Michael Haneke directorial, akin to ‘It Was Just an Accident,’ deals with the consequences of actions and the subtle motives behind revenge. The political flavors of the narratives connect them on a deeper level.
8. Hard Candy (2005)
‘Hard Candy,’ a psychological thriller film, follows Jeff Kohlver (Patrick Wilson), a photographer in his 30s, who sexually pursues an underage girl named Hayley Stark (Elliot Page). After repeated attempts to groom the seemingly innocent teenage girl, he manages to win her trust. A conversation between the two eventually leads to them visiting Jeff’s house for intimacy. However, as the day passes, Jeff realizes that his date may be hiding her intentions. As the two continue to interact, the situation becomes unexpectedly turbulent. Directed by David Slade, it features themes of justice, revenge, and claustrophobic spaces that the main characters find themselves in.
7. Incendies (2010)
Directed by Denis Villeneuve, ‘Incendies’ tells the tale of twins Jeanne Marwan (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin) and Simon Marwan (Maxim Gaudette), who grieve the death of their mother Nawal Marwan (Lubna Azabal). When they discover that their mother’s dying wish was for them to travel to a foreign country to discover their roots, they reluctantly do so in the narrative based on Wajdi Mouawad’s eponymous play. Strangers in a distant land, their lives descend into utter chaos even when they discover shocking truths about their mother and the nature of their existence. The Canadian psychological drama film, in the French language, is a brutal depiction of survival, incarceration, torture, and secrets, which ‘It Was Just an Accident’ also explores through its character arcs.
6. The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
‘The Secret in Their Eyes’ or ‘El secreto de sus ojos’ is an Argentine-Spanish psychological crime drama film that centers on a retired legal counselor named Benjamin Esposito (Ricardo Darín). Helmed by Juan José Campanella, the story focuses on Benjamin’s obsession as he tries to resolve an unsolved homicide from the past by writing a novel. He investigates the murder and rape of Liliana Coloto (Carla Quevedo), while also reminiscing about his past love for his superior Irene Menéndez Hastings (Soledad Villamil), who currently helps him with the case. Based on Eduardo Sacheri’s novel ‘La pregunta de sus ojos,’ the film is connected to ‘It Was Just an Accident’ as it navigates the difficult convergence of past and present. Both stories feature elements of justice, complex characters, and similar visual tones.
5. Big Bad Wolves (2013)
‘Big Bad Wolves’ or ‘Mi Mefakhed Mehaze’ev Hara’ revolves around the intertwining lives of three men, connected to a single case. When a school teacher named Dror (Rotem Keinan) is questioned by the cops for his alleged involvement in a young girl’s murder, he goes free due to insufficient evidence. This crosses his destiny with that of Micki (Lior Ashkenazi), a cop fired for not solving the case, and Gidi (Tzahi Grad), the father of the victim. When the accused thinks that he is liberated, the father and the cop come up with a dangerous plan to redeem themselves. Directed by Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado, the Israeli thriller-drama movie is a nuanced exploration of justice in a broken world. The journeys of Micki and Gidi capture the spirit of Vahid’s struggles in ‘It Was Just an Accident.’
4. There Is No Evil (2020)
Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof, ‘There Is No Evil’ or ‘Sheytan vojood nadarad’ narrates the perspectives of four different characters. Heshmat (Ehsan Mirhosseini), Pouya (Kaveh Ahangar), Javad (Mohammad Valizadegan), and Darya (Baran Rasoulof) deal with the nature of their realities under the authoritarian regime, while directly or indirectly dealing with the philosophy of the death penalty in the country. The Iranian political drama film is a layered examination of violence, choice, justice, and authoritarian values in the nation, which are themes that ‘It Was Just an Accident’ also sheds light on.
3. Prisoners (2013)
‘Prisoners’ follows the painful search of Keller Dover (Hugh Jackman) for his missing daughter, Anna Dover (Erin Gerasimovich), and her friend. With no leads, Dover’s helplessness and often troubling investigation lead to a grim situation, wherein the missing girl seems to have no hope left. When the case captures the attention of police detective Loki (Jake Gyllenhaal), it leads to a clash between the grieving father and the cop, who both have their own interests in finding the girl. In a town where isolation and loneliness reign, the two men should find something to believe in before it is too late. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, the crime thriller drama film bears a resemblance to ‘It Was Just an Accident’ due to its portrayal of complex human bonds, deep mysteries, the relentless pursuit of justice, and the choice between revenge and forgiveness.
2. The Salesman (2016)
‘The Salesman’ or ‘Forooshande’ is an Iranian-French psychological drama film that focuses on Emad (Shahab Hosseini) and Rana (Taraneh Alidoosti), a married couple who are both theatre actors. They are moving into a new apartment due to the bad condition of their current house. Their lives are turned upside down when Rana is assaulted by someone who assumes she is a sex worker. This drives Emad to a point of desperation, wherein he seeks to find and punish the one responsible for his partner’s ordeal.
But a moral battle arises between the husband and the wife as the latter seeks no vengeance. As both of them take part in a stage production of Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of a Salesman,’ the relationship becomes more complicated than they imagined. Directed by Asghar Farhadi, it weaves a complex of vengeance, trust, loyalty, and violence, which connect it to the world of ‘It Was Just an Accident,’ and its characters.
1. Death and the Maiden (1994)
‘Death and the Maiden,’ a Roman Polanski directorial, chronicles the lives of Paulina Escobar (Sigourney Weaver) and her spouse Gerardo Escobar (Stuart Wilson). When Gerardo brings home a guest named Roberto Miranda (Ben Kingsley), the activist Paulina has a strong feeling that he is the one who raped her during her political detention in the past by a dictatorial regime. This leads her to kidnap, bind, and torture him to seek answers to her doubts.
As she strives to obtain a confession, her husband, a lawyer, must contend with the moral implications of the situation. The psychological thriller film, in the vein of ‘It Was Just an Accident,’ delves deeply into the complexities of choice, the morality of revenge, and the meaning of justice. The main characters in the films find themselves in situations where they have to choose between peace and redemption.
Read More: Movies Like Baramulla
