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It Was Just an Accident

Play trailer 1:55 Poster for It Was Just an Accident PG-13 Now Playing 1h 45m Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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98% Tomatometer 167 Reviews 91% Popcornmeter 50+ Verified Ratings
What begins as a minor accident sets in motion a series of escalating consequences.
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It Was Just an Accident

It Was Just an Accident

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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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Critics Reviews

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Ty Burr Ty Burr's Watch List (Substack) 1d
4/4
Easily one of Panahi’s best, a savage comedy, the blackest of black. Go to Full Review
Linda Marric The Sun (UK) 1d
4/5
This is one of Panahi’s best works to date. It blends the personal and political in a deeply affecting way. Go to Full Review
Clarisse Loughrey Independent (UK) 2d
5/5
It’s a film of overwhelmingly visceral emotion; impossible, then, to separate from what we imagine Panahi must feel himself. Go to Full Review
Alexa Dalby Dog and Wolf 1d
4/5
Like Vahid, Panahi is generous. His filmmaking concentrates on morality without showiness. Go to Full Review
Pablo O. Scholz Clarín 2d
4/4
Even a viewer unfamiliar with Panahi's work should still feel moved and challenged by what they see. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Alejandro Lingenti La Nación (Argentina) 2d
4/5
Above all else, Panahi is a talented and imaginative director who knows how to use the multiple resources that cinema offers to capture the viewer's attention for 103 breathless minutes...[Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Donald T Nov 15 Great film. Brilliant. See more Starla C Nov 14 didn't enjoy the story at all... See more roya Nov 11 An excellent movie full of meaning and connotations! See more CA voter Nov 10 Storyline twisted to reveal Iranian history - the ensemble actors all well cast See more John D Nov 2 Movie was crazy well acted and paced. Long shots were long without seeming show-y or film school-y See more kamran Oct 30 Nicely done, showing political realities, suffering of people intertwined with humanity. See more Read all reviews
It Was Just an Accident

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Movie Info

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
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.4M
Runtime
1h 45m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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