The Stoning of Soraya M.

R

Released Jun 26, 2009

1 hr. 56 min.

Drama

List

58%

86 Reviews

Tomatometer

87%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

An Iranian woman (Shohreh Aghdashloo) tells a journalist (James Caviezel) about the unjust and brutal death of her innocent niece (Mozhan Marnò).

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Critics Consensus

The Stoning of Soraya M. nearly transcends its deficiencies through the sheer strength of its subject material, but ultimately drowns out its message with an inappropriately heavy-handed approach.

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dave s

The Stoning of Soraya M., the true story of an Iranian woman falsely convicted of adultery and sentenced to death, is an important story to tell. Unfortunately, the film is a ham-fisted attempt to share the story. The first half is filled with one-dimensional characters speaking in stilted dialogue. To top it off, it contains some of the most pointless and irritating editing in recent memory, often resembling a hyperactive MTV video. One would think longer cuts would give the viewer time to contemplate the horror of the situation, but such is not the case. To be fair, the second half of the movie is much more impactful as the filmmakers rely more on images to create the drama and the excessive dialogue that plagues the first half is mercifully scaled back.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Magnificienf performances by the two main female characteras. Heartbreaking film. A real story about lies and laws that should never existed. I stand for Soraya and all women in this world that have to live under patriarchal oppression

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

rashid w

A well made movie both subtle and brutal. Sheds a light on a great injustice without being preachy. Good filmmaking allows you to just focus on the story. Good performances and story makes it a great film but it's as much of an education as it is entertainment. Don't look away.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Heart rending movie about women's injustices in Iran.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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Audience Member

The movie shows the reality that is shoking. The detail, visualisation portrayed gives us the feeling of anger and helplessness. Well done.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

don s

This drama based on a true story is a bit difficult to watch for us non-Islamics who don't understand that religion is still being used in these countries as a means to extricate men from the women who are holding them down and won't accept the hardships that would accompany a divorce (you know, like having a place to live and feeding the children, that kind of thing). Seeing these three men force another man to lie about having an affair with a woman who was nearly commanded by these same three men to take care of this widower set me ablaze. Then watching the stoning itself was just brutal. As getting the story out seems to have had little effect, one wonders about what it will take to stop this kind of human suffering and the indifference of the culture that still allows it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Cyrus Nowrasteh

Director

Shohreh Aghdashloo

Zahra

Jim Caviezel

Freidoune

Mozhan Marnò

Soraya M.

Ali Pourtash

Mullah

Navid Negahban

Ali

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71%

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The War Within

76%

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The Patience Stone

33%

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Trevor Johnston

Time Out

Rated: 2/5

Nov 16, 2011

Full Review

Keith Uhlich

Time Out

Goes off the rails long before the Karo syrup starts gushing Monty Python-style.

Rated: 2/5

Nov 16, 2011

Full Review

Keith Uhlich

Time Out Chicago

Rated: 2/5

Sep 16, 2011

Full Review

Iván Kazi

EscribiendoCine

The Stoning of Soraya M. is only recommendable to those who are completely unaware of the oppressive traditions in Islamic culture and are seeking an explicit yet underdeveloped demonstration. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 4/10

Sep 27, 2023

Full Review

Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

The searing images and powerful performances ultimately overpower the sometimes overripe direction.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 5, 2019

Full Review

Megan Basham

WORLD

As a documentation of an outrage, designed to horrify the world and make it pay attention, it works very well.

Nov 6, 2018

Full Review

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Synopsis

An Iranian woman (Shohreh Aghdashloo) tells a journalist (James Caviezel) about the unjust and brutal death of her innocent niece (Mozhan Marnò).

Director: Cyrus Nowrasteh
Executive Producer: Lisa Maria Falcone, Diane Hendricks, Thomas J. Papa
Screenwriter: Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh, Cyrus Nowrasteh
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Rating: R (Cruel and Brutal Violence|Brief Strong Language|Disturbing Sequence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 26, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $655.6K