A Separation

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A Separation

PG-13

2011

2h 3m

Drama

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Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

177 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

When Nader (Payman Maadi), a bank employee, refuses to leave Tehran, his wife, Simin (Leila Hatami) sues for divorce in the hope that she can make a better life for their young daughter abroad. Needing someone to care for his senile father while he's at work, Nader hires Razieh (Sareh Bayat), a married woman whose chador hides her pregnancy. One day, after becoming angry with Razieh, Nader shoves her, and she has a miscarriage, leading Razieh's husband to take Nader to court.

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Critics Consensus

Morally complex, suspenseful, and consistently involving, A Separation captures the messiness of a dissolving relationship with keen insight and searing intensity.

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David Thomson

The New Republic

You cannot watch the film without feeling kinship with the characters and admitting their decency as well as their mistakes.

Jun 19, 2013

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Jon Frosch

The Atlantic

Dynamically shot and paced like a thriller, the film has the density and moral prickliness of a good novel.

Mar 7, 2012

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Stephanie Zacharek

Movieline

Nothing earth-shattering happens in A Separation, but the straightforwardness of this view of a disintegrating marriage, set in the context of complicated cultural and religious mors, is dramatic by itself.

Rated: 8.5/10

Mar 6, 2012

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Angelos Koutsourakis

PopMatters

Equally important is that the film avoids oversimplistic condemnations of the Iranian regime, showing that oppression can be propagated unconsciously, even by those who are at the bottom of society.

Rated: 7/10

Feb 23, 2024

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

It touches on a reality of life that transcends any political or cultural barrier while also offering some thought-provoking insight into the religious laws and social structure of that part of the world.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 19, 2022

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

A Separation stimulates discussion about how the characters behave and how we feel about their choices.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 21, 2022

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Diba A

A Separation portrays several perspectives of diverse characters of different backgrounds. Each character, while they may act different than us, is so complex that us viewers can still understand their perspective and behavior. Each character is well-rounded and it feels like a raw snapshot into real peoples lives. The flow from start to finish. A simple, petty yet understandable "separation" at the beginning is the unintended catalyst which increases the rift between the characters. It portrays how life can suddenly spin a situation into an uncontrollable chaos, which you cannot return from. The movie did a great job at keeping everything mundane despite Nader facing manslaughter of the baby. It shows the reality of such situation without the drama of Hollywood. The movie is not political as the questions for the separation are for the best of marriages and familial life in Iran and moreover, this was also proven by the daughter, whom Simin had told that she never intended to move abroad and that she later intended to return home. While not political, it is a great movie to provide insight into the mundane life of Iranians.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/24/25

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Sandra V

Beautiful and complicated.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/16/25

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Stephen C

Success in 2 hours and 3 minutes!!!!!! Rated PG-13 for Mature Thematic Material!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In Persian and English versions with English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/07/25

Full Review

Mohamed G

A Separation is without a doubt the best social drama I've had the privilege of viewing. Masterclass in storytelling, honest, raw, and emotionally subtle. The film doesn't rely on melodramatic plot twists or flashy cinematography. Instead, it pulls you in quietly into an intensely human conflict, where every character is real, flawed, and achingly relatable ... it explores morality, justice, family, and pride in a way that lingers long after the credits roll. Direction is subtle yet powerful, and the performances are astonishingly authentic.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/19/25

Full Review

Fariba A

An absolute masterpiece. so many layers. at the end we should be the judge! but who are we to judge these people. They are all doing the right thing in their own way!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/16/24

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Faiz D

Brilliant story and absolutely amazing performances. A Separation is a great movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/29/24

Full Review

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Asghar Farhadi

Director

Peyman Moaadi

Nader

Leila Hatami

Simin

Sareh Bayat

Razieh

Shahab Hosseini

Hodjat

Merila Zare'i

Miss Ghahraii

Critics Consensus: Streep Carries The Iron Lady

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Synopsis

When Nader (Payman Maadi), a bank employee, refuses to leave Tehran, his wife, Simin (Leila Hatami) sues for divorce in the hope that she can make a better life for their young daughter abroad. Needing someone to care for his senile father while he's at work, Nader hires Razieh (Sareh Bayat), a married woman whose chador hides her pregnancy. One day, after becoming angry with Razieh, Nader shoves her, and she has a miscarriage, leading Razieh's husband to take Nader to court.

Director: Asghar Farhadi
Producer: Negar Eskandarfar, Asghar Farhadi
Screenwriter: Asghar Farhadi
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Asghar Farhadi
Rating: PG-13 (Mature Thematic Material)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Persian
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 30, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 12, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $331.7K
Runtime: 2h 3m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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