The Perfect Candidate

Released May 14, 2021

1h 41m

Drama

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List

93%

82 Reviews

Tomatometer

62%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

When Maryam, a hardworking young doctor in a small-town clinic, is prevented from flying to Dubai for a conference without a male guardian's approval, she seeks help from a politically connected cousin but inadvertently registers as a candidate for the municipal council. Maryam sees the election as a way to fix the muddy road in front of her clinic, but her campaign slowly garners broader appeal.

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Critics Consensus

A message movie admirable for its subtlety as well as its execution, The Perfect Candidate faces oppression and powerfully advocates for change.

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kdd

I loved the movie! A chance to get a glimpse of Saudi society. Very nicely done. Well acted, nice music and touching.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/17/21

Full Review

David H

Terrific screenplay showing family conflict, personal growth, cultural/religious background, and political dynamics. The basic story is about the eldest daughter in a family of Saudi musicians who has become an MD because she has stagefright, and who signs up to be a candidate for the rural municipal council as an offhand byproduct of trying to get a computer error corrected so she can have permission to leave the Kingdom and attend a conference in Dubai that will give her a chance for a job in Riyadh that will get her out of the anti-woman bias at her local medical clinic. On top of everything else, the film gently satirizes modern political campaigning.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/16/21

Full Review

david l

The Perfect Candidate is a wonderfully subtle and not at all on-the-nose movie in its feminist message. It takes an important look into the changing Saudi society when it comes to basic women's rights, making it very timely as it captures this important period effortlessly. The acting is great and the ending is quite moving. This is an even better, more confident movie from Haifaa al-Mansour than her previous feature, Wadjda. Both films were snubbed by the Academy for some reason.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

dave d

I wanted to like 'The Perfect Candidate' much more than I did, but it's all too often unfocused and wandering. There's a subplot here that sometimes engulfs the film. When on track and focused on the titular character, this Saudi Arabian feature is best. There are quite a few cliche moments, in this female empowerment story. Final Score: 5/10

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Well worth watching. Well paced, humourus and interesting insight into (some) women's lives in the ME. Great performance from the leading lady.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

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Audience Member

A subtle, yet steadfast account of the types of oppression being challenged and overcome by women like Haifaa Al-Mansour. Her characters are likeable, with the family and their lives being relatable. Its approach isn't about drama or high levels of tension, but instead focusses on the everyday lives of people

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Haifaa Al-Mansour

Director

Mila Al Zahrani

Dr. Maryam Alsafan

Dae Al Hilali

Selma

Nora Al Awadh

Sara

Khalid Abdulraheem

Abdulaziz

Shafi Alharthy

Mohammed

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99%

88%

Wadjda

56%

98%

Overcomer

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for Overcomer

87%

83%

What They Had

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for What They Had

100%

71%

Elementary

17%

77%

God Bless the Broken Road

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for God Bless the Broken Road

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The Perfect Candidate: Trailer 1

2:04

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Amy Nicholson

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

It really liked it. It's not a doom and gloom movie -- it's about "how can you use your influence?"

May 21, 2021

Full Review

Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

What I appreciated about this was the subtleties -- she's doing things in small victories.

May 21, 2021

Full Review

Ann Hornaday

Washington Post

Mansour gives audiences a candid, often wryly amusing glimpse of life inside the Saudi kingdom, which is so often cloaked in opacity and menace.

Rated: 3/4

May 19, 2021

Full Review

Brian Susbielles

InSession Film

With The Perfect Candidate, she has made some rumbles but puts on a perfect platform for the rights of women in such a restrictive country for the modern century.

Rated: A-

Mar 1, 2023

Full Review

Loren King

Newport This Week (RI)

[Haifaa Al-Mansour] delivers a razor-sharp look at women's lives in modern Saudi Arabia.

Aug 6, 2021

Full Review

Peter Martin

ScreenAnarchy

Featuring finely-tuned characters and pitched to a degree of outrage that I found completely engaging

Rated: 4.5/5.0

Jun 29, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

When Maryam, a hardworking young doctor in a small-town clinic, is prevented from flying to Dubai for a conference without a male guardian's approval, she seeks help from a politically connected cousin but inadvertently registers as a candidate for the municipal council. Maryam sees the election as a way to fix the muddy road in front of her clinic, but her campaign slowly garners broader appeal.

Director: Haifaa Al-Mansour
Producer: Christian Granderath, Rena Ronson, Faisal Baltyuor, Fahad Alsuwayan
Screenwriter: Haifaa Al-Mansour, Brad Niemann
Distributor: Music Box Films
Production Co: Al Mansour Est. for Audiovisual Media, NDR, Razor Film Produktion GmbH
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Arabic
Release Date (Theaters): May 14, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 10, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $28.8K
Runtime: 1h 41m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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