Review: Alkhallat+ first Saudi movie to be created for Netflix
The Arabic-language film’s anecdotes paint a picture of how Saudi Arabia used to be
Updated 13 February 2023
Jasmine Bager
In the span of two hours, this Netflix original movie takes viewers through four vignettes, each showing Saudi men and women dealing with precarious modern predicaments, and each featuring a fish-out-of-water interaction with a close companion.
The dark comedy is the first Saudi movie to be created for the streaming giant. It premiered at the International Red Sea Film Festival in Jeddah in 2022, and has been the No.1 Netflix movie in the Kingdom since it was made available to viewers in mid-January.
The Arabic-language film’s anecdotes paint a picture of how Saudi Arabia used to be. With local dialects and references that Saudis of a certain age will recall, the jokes are dark and full of meaning. The humor is timeless, yet seems frozen in an era not too long ago, but far enough away that we can see it with fresh eyes.
The film serves almost as a digital time capsule, reminding us of a period when the Kingdom was not as open as it is today. The title is a nod to the film’s humble beginnings on YouTube. In Arabic, the word “khallat” means blender. In many ways, it is an apt name since the film is a blend of mixed-up stories.
In the first, a humble home is preparing for a wedding, a chaotic celebration that is full of unexpected family drama.
The second story takes place at a upmarket restaurant, and appears to be a sort of loose nod to the American romantic comedy “The Parent Trap,” in which a child attempts to reunite separated parents through dining.
The third story starts abruptly at the scene of a car accident where a husband has been killed, while the final vignette, the only one set outside the Kingdom, shows the misadventures of a frugal family man staying in a complimentary hotel room.
Review: Netflix’s ‘North of North’ offers a fresh and authentic look at Inuit life
Updated 17 April 2025
Jasmine Bager
Netflix’s new “North of North” series offers a fresh and authentic look at Inuit life, blending humor with emotional depth and cultural richness.
It is Netflix’s first original Canadian series, co-commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in association with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network.
Set in the fictional Arctic town of Ice Cove, Nunavut, the series follows Siaja, a 26-year-old Inuk woman who publicly steps away from her marriage to a clueless husband, choosing to carve out a new space within her community and finding her own path while navigating the complexities of personal reinvention and staying rooted at home.
While some of the slapstick comedy feels clumsy and redundant, it adds a sense of familiarity that ties together the everyday dynamics of life in a small community.
The “we don’t need white saviors” theme is both timely and valid, though it leans on a somewhat cliche delivery.
However, the series makes up for this with rich cultural details — indigenous hand tattoos, handmade earrings and authentic Inuit clothing.
The elders speaking in their native tongue as part of everyday life, and Siaja’s responses in English, reflect the reality of balancing multiple identities and languages.
Written by Inuit writers Stacey Aglok MacDonald and Alethea Arnaquq-Baril, “North of North” presents an essential narrative told from an indigenous perspective. Their voices bring nuance and authenticity, ensuring that the series accurately represents the complexities of Inuit life.
Siaja’s relationship with her young daughter, who is also discovering the world, as well as the adults in her life adds emotional richness to the series.
Anna Lambe’s portrayal of Siaja captures the character’s vulnerability and resilience, making her journey relatable. You feel you could be her friend.
Overall, “North of North” is a fun series that balances humor with heartfelt moments.
While some elements may feel predictable, it seemingly succeeds in authentically portraying Inuit culture, according to early feedback from the indigenous community.
The show cleverly explores themes of personal reinvention and community dynamics which are universal, while keeping the culture central to the unfolding story.
It is grounded, relatable and necessary. Definitely binge-worthy. While the characters are constantly surrounding — and occasionally engulfed — by snow, its warmth is felt all around.
DUBAI: US singer and songwriter Benson Boone will open this year’s Yasalam After-Race Concerts, part of the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend in December.
Boone, known for chart-topping hits like “Beautiful Things” and “Slow It Down,” is set to take the stage at Etihad Park on Dec. 4.
Disney+ launches limited-time immersive experience in Riyadh
Updated 17 April 2025
Rahaf Jambi
RIYADH: For one weekend, Disney+ has unveiled an interactive activation at U Walk in Riyadh. From April 17-19, this pop-up invites families to immerse themselves in their favorite stories from the entertainment company, transforming beloved movies and series into an experience that blends film and food.
The experience includes interactive zones like the “Roar Challenge,” inspired by “Mufasa,” and rhythmic drumming experiences set to the beats of “Moana.”
For one weekend, Disney+ has unveiled an interactive activation at U Walk in Riyadh. (AN Photo)
Saleh Al-Anzi, one of the attendees, remarked: This is a very special occasion, and it’s the first time this happens in Saudi Arabia. When I got the invitation, I was so excited and came here with my children. Everything here was amazing—the hospitality, the food, the cupcakes, and the desserts. We had a really fun time with the kids. I like this activity because it's not only for children; it's also for adults like us. We also watch Disney+ with our kids.”
Disney+ partnered with the Saudi premium confectionary brand Milaf to craft a bespoke menu of desserts and dishes available only at the event. Merging local heritage with global storytelling, the menu was tailored for the Saudi audience, blending iconic Disney+ tales with the rich flavors of Saudi cuisine. From Hanini and Masabeeb to Kleija, each creation celebrated Saudi culture while offering a journey through Disney+’s most iconic stories.
Tamim Fares, Director of Disney+ Middle East & North Africa, remarked: We were thrilled to bring this one-of-a-kind Disney+ activation to Riyadh, providing families with a unique experience that transcended streaming. This event was more than just entertainment — it was a celebration of stories that resonated across generations, brought to life with a local Saudi touch.”
Review: Jon Hamm breaks bad in ‘Your Friends & Neighbors’
Updated 17 April 2025
Matt Ross
LONDON: Another month, another stellar new original series from Apple TV+, now pumping out hits with noteworthy regularity and deservedly seeing its viewer numbers steadily creeping in the right direction.
In his first TV leading role since his career-defining work in “Mad Men,” Jon Hamm plays Andrew Cooper, a recently divorced New York hedge fund manager whose life spins out of control when he loses his big-money job. Unable to admit to his family and friends that he’s now unemployed, ‘Coop’ suddenly finds himself in need of cash to maintain the flashy standard of living to which he and his dependents have become accustomed. After a number of epiphanies regarding the fickle nature of most of his so-called friends and colleagues, Coop begins stealing from his wealthy neighbors to fund that lifestyle.
But this wealthy, suburban spin on “Breaking Bad” comes with its own set of unique risks. The first of nine episodes (two are available at launch, with weekly installments to follow) shows us a glimpse into Coop’s future as he wakes up in a pool of blood next to a dead body. From there, we flash back four months to see how Coop winds up in this mess. It’s a real “I bet you’re wondering how I ended up here" moment — a cheap and somewhat overused trope, truth be told, but “Your Friends and Neighbors” quickly rewards us for being willing to overlook such a hackneyed plot mechanic.
As you’d expect, Hamm is the show’s MVP. He paints Coop as a complex and flawed individual. A bit of a jerk, sure, but far from the worst guy in the world when you compare him with an ensemble of truly obnoxious characters (played with verve and humor by a great cast which includes Amanda Peet as Coop’s ex-wife, Olivia Munn as a fellow rich divorcee and Hoon Lee as his brutally honest business manager). Indeed, with each crime, Coop’s point of view actually starts to make an alarming amount of sense.
Making audiences root for a kind-of-obnoxious money-grabbing robber is no small task, but Hamm is more than up to the job.
What’s screening in competition at the 2025 Saudi Film Festival
Updated 17 April 2025
Arab News
DUBAI: A rundown of the Feature Narrative Film contenders at this year’s Saudi Film Festival, which runs from April 17-23.
‘Hobal’
Director: Abdulaziz Alshlahei
Starring: Mila Al-Zahrani, Amal Samie, Ibrahim Al-Hasawi
The Saudi filmmaker — whose movie “The Tambour of Retribution” was selected as the Kingdom’s entry into the 2022 Oscars and won the Special Jury Prize at the Cairo Film Festival in 2020 — has already grabbed headlines with his latest project, which is the first feature film to be shot in the Saudi megaproject NEOM. It’s set shortly before the outbreak of the Gulf War in 1990, and follows a Bedouin family living a nomadic existence in the desert. The patriarch has forbidden his family from heading into modernized cities — believing them to be dens of sin — but when his granddaughter Rifa contracts measles, her mother defies his rules to try and save her life. The film has already been a hit in Saudi Arabia: according to the Saudi Film Commission it had more than half a million cinema admissions in a little over a month following its release in January.
‘My Driver and I’
Director: Ahd Kamel
Starring: Roula Dakheelallah, Mishaal Tamer, Mustafa Shehata
Saudi actress, writer, director and producer Kamel’s entry is a coming-of-age story set in her hometown of Jeddah in the Eighties and Nineties. It centers on the relationship between a free-spirited girl, Salma, and her family’s chauffeur, a Sudanese man named Gamar, who quickly becomes her confidant and something of a father figure to Salma, whose real dad is a businessman who shows more interest in his work than he does in his daughter. But as Salma grows up, their relationship becomes strained, as Salma feels that Gamar has overstepped his boundaries in his attempts to alter her behavior and protect her reputation.
Saudi actress, writer, director and producer Ahd Kamel’s entry is a coming-of-age story set in her hometown of Jeddah. (Supplied)
‘Songs of Adam’
Director: Oday Rasheed
Starring: Azzam Ahmed Ali, Abdul Jabber Hassan, Alaa Najm
The Baghdad-born Arab American director blends drama and magical realism in this tale of two brothers — Adam and Ali — that begins in the 1940s. Having been told by their father to witness their grandfather’s corpse being washed before burial, Adam, then aged 12, announces that he has decided not to grow up. And as the years pass, he doesn’t. The villagers, including Ali, believe he has been cursed. Only Adam’s best friend Anki and his cousin Iman — who wasn’t allowed to witness the ritual as a child because she is a girl — see Adam’s condition as an innocence-preserving gift.
The Baghdad-born Arab American director blends drama and magical realism in this tale of two brothers — Adam and Ali — that begins in the 1940s. (Supplied)
‘Holes’
Director: Abdulmohsen Aldhabaan
Starring: Mariam Abdulrahman, Meshal Almutairi
Saudi writer-director Aldhabaan’s latest feature is a psychological thriller that centers on Rakan and his wife Rim, who are desperate to find their own place so that they no longer have to live with Rakan’s mother. The only issue with their supposed new home is that someone has hammered a hole into one of its walls. After the married couple have moved in, Rakan becomes increasingly distant from Rim. Through flashbacks, we begin to learn why his mood has changed, and when his mother is attacked by burglars in her house, Rakan is confronted by an unwelcome reminder of his past.
‘Fakhr Al-Suwaidi’
Directors: Hisham Fathyn, Abdullah Bamajboor, Osama Salih
Shaheen is the idealistic principal of Al-Suwaidi High School, who is searching for a way to connect with some of his students whom he believes are in danger of going astray; three students in particular: Ziyad, whose family have recently returned from America and who is feeling stifled by their expectations of him; Mazen, a restless boy prone to violent outbursts; and Saeed, who is struggling to stay on the straight and narrow and redeem his reputation as a troublemaker. Shaheen starts a sharia class, and finds himself bonding with the students, but his younger brother Moeen is unhappy about the project, which he views as a waste of the school’s overstretched budget.
‘Session Adjourned’
Director: Mohammad S. S. Almujaibel
Starring: Hind Al-Balushi, Abdullah Al-Jiran, Abdullah Al-Turkmani
This thriller marks the return of Kuwaiti star Al-Balushi to the silver screen after nearly seven years of not starring in movies. According to a synopsis on the Ithra website, it centers around a series of crimes apparently carried out in revenge for the murder of a young boy called Fahd. At each crime scene, the only clue found is a necklace in the shape of a scorpion. The most obvious suspect would be Fahd’s father — Younis Abdul Rahman. But he committed suicide over a year before the crimes began.
