It Was Just an Accident

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1:55

It Was Just an Accident

PG-13

2025

1h 45m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

188 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

50+ Verified Ratings

What begins as a minor accident sets in motion a series of escalating consequences.

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Critics Consensus

Perhaps the most bluntly political film by Jafar Panahi yet, It Was Just an Accident is a defiant rebuke of authoritarianism that still delivers the entertainment value of a gripping thriller.

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Donald Clarke

Irish Times

Dec 20

5/5

As ever, Panahi works with amateur actors to secure a connection with everyday realities. The huge moral dilemmas spin out from the personal concerns of fleshy, believable human beings.

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Mark Kermode

Kermode and Mayo's Take (YouTube)

Dec 8

It feels very real.

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Kat Sachs

Chicago Reader

Dec 8

It’s cliche to say, but the value of humor in our long-suffering humanity cannot be understated, and it seems Panâhi recognizes that more than most.

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Tom Meek

Cambridge Day

2d

3/4

It is atypical Panahi, rich in production values and gingerly plotted, something that Panahi’s other films — seeking to skirt government censorship — avoided in their raw, natural, unflinching lens.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

4d

2.5/4

...builds towards a fairly riveting third act...

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Louisa Moore

Screen Zealots

6d

Asks whether it’s possible to hold onto your humanity while staring down the person you believe destroyed it.

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Nov 15

Great film. Brilliant.

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Nov 14

didn't enjoy the story at all...

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Nov 11

An excellent movie full of meaning and connotations!

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Nov 10

Storyline twisted to reveal Iranian history - the ensemble actors all well cast

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Nov 2

Movie was crazy well acted and paced. Long shots were long without seeming show-y or film school-y

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Oct 30

Nicely done, showing political realities, suffering of people intertwined with humanity.

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Jafar Panahi

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Vahid

Ebrahim Azizi

Eghbal

Mariam Afshari

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Hadis Pakbaten

Golrokh

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It Was Just an Accident: Trailer 1

1:55

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Synopsis

What begins as a minor accident sets in motion a series of escalating consequences.

Director: Jafar Panahi
Producer: Jafar Panahi
Screenwriter: Jafar Panahi
Distributor: NEON
Production Co: Les Films Pelléas
Rating: PG-13 (Thematic Elements|Strong Language|Smoking|Violence)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Persian
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 15, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 16, 2025
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.7M
Runtime: 1h 45m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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