The Exam

2021

1h 29m

Drama

List

100%

Tomatometer

5 Reviews

100%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Rojin, a heartbroken young woman who is suffering from depression after the disappearance of her fiancé, is preparing for her university entrance exam. If she fails, her father will force her into marriage. If she succeeds, however, she might lead a more emancipated life and avoid the fate of her older sister Shilan, who is unhappily married to a conservative man who demands her to be a proper housewife. Seeing that her younger sister struggles to achieve that dream, Shilan becomes desperate to make her pass the exam by any means necessary. This decision puts the sisters under immense pressure from their environment both at home and in school, as they become entangled in a huge network of corruption that is connected through all parts of society.

Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

AWFJ.org

With The Exam, director Shawkat Amin Korki tightly binds a fearless examination of the plight of women in this region with enough familiar genre film thrills to keep the audience enthralled.

Aug 17, 2022

Full Review

Wendy Ide

Screen International

A taut female-driven story which delves into the moral ambiguities of Shilan and Rojin's increasingly desperate measures.

Dec 10, 2021

Full Review

Richard Kuipers

Variety

"The Exam" is a strong addition to the growing number of films about young women in patriarchal societies who are railing against cultural tradition and want to make their own decisions about marriage and motherhood.

Oct 21, 2021

Full Review

Ayelet Dekel

Midnight East

The Exam is an intense and captivating social drama-crime caper with themes of feminism and social justice.

Oct 15, 2022

Full Review

Mariona Borrull

El antepenúltimo mohicano

Serious and entertaining, but always on edge. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 4/5

Sep 7, 2021

Full Review

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DuÅ¡an A

Important topic, good plot (although a bit stretched), overall good movie

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/27/24

Full Review

eduardo b

What a movie! Great theme/argument, very well written, directed. Excellent cast. This is one of the best films of the year.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Shawkat Amin Korki

Director

Avan Jamal

Actor

Vania Salar

Actor

Hussein Hassan

Actor

Shwan Attoof

Actor

Hoshyar Nerwayi Et Al

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Synopsis

Rojin, a heartbroken young woman who is suffering from depression after the disappearance of her fiancé, is preparing for her university entrance exam. If she fails, her father will force her into marriage. If she succeeds, however, she might lead a more emancipated life and avoid the fate of her older sister Shilan, who is unhappily married to a conservative man who demands her to be a proper housewife. Seeing that her younger sister struggles to achieve that dream, Shilan becomes desperate to make her pass the exam by any means necessary. This decision puts the sisters under immense pressure from their environment both at home and in school, as they become entangled in a huge network of corruption that is connected through all parts of society.

Director: Shawkat Amin Korki
Producer: Mehmet Aktas
Screenwriter: Shawkat Amin Korki, Mohammad Reza Gohari
Production Co: Mitosfilm
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Kurdish
Runtime: 1h 29m