To a Land Unknown

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1:37

To a Land Unknown

2025

1h 46m

Comedy

Drama

Crime

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

98%

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56 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Chatila and Reda are saving to pay for fake passports to get out of Athens. But when Reda loses their hard-earned cash to his dangerous drug addiction, Chatila hatches an extreme plan, which involves them posing as smugglers and taking hostages in an effort to get him and his best friend out of their hopeless environment before it is too late.

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Critics Consensus

Powered by Mahmoud Bakri and Aram Sabbagh's raw believability, To a Land Unknown will keep audiences pinned to their seats as they wonder what lengths these characters will go to survive.

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Jared Richards

The Age (Australia)

Jun 15

4/5

Inspired by Palestinian refugees stranded without support in Athens, To a Land Unknown is a searing crime-thriller driven by desperation, reminiscent of Midnight Cowboy or Good Time.

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Ann Hornaday

Washington Post

07/18/2025

3/4

This is the world as it is, Fleifel seems to be telling us. What it could be is left up to our own moral imagination.

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Michael Phillips

Chicago Tribune

07/18/2025

3/4

Chatila’s the emergent protagonist in the script by Fyzal Boulifa, Jason McColgan and director Fleifel, and in the compelling, un-showy performance by Mahmood Bakri, the story’s escalating tensions never feel actor-engineered.

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Lee Jutton

Film Inquiry

Jan 13

To a Land Unknown is not an easy watch that culminates in a simple and satisfying ending. But one thing is for certain: stories like this must continue to be told, especially if we ever want the world to change.

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Sankeerthna Vedamtam

MovieJawn

08/19/2025

To A Land Unknown takes a third option in its gloomy ambiguity and firmly holds to the principle of the true buddy film. The protagonists may be hustlers, but the film makes it clear: the real long con is mutual survival.

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Jessie Wallace

Pajiba

08/15/2025

This is a very strong feature from a promising director that should be seen by those who can see it.

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Orin D

@RT64117979 08/29/2025

We saw this fine film last night @. college film series. It is a tense, gripping experience, a film dominated by a sense of foreboding from the git-go. I often felt like I was watching a great documentary rather than a fiction film Highly recommended! BRAVO

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Hamza A

@RT08357340 08/15/2025

A cinematic masterpiece and a heart wrenching look at exile.

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Diane P

@Diane86 08/13/2025

It's a powerful and thought provoking film!

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Hamza A.

@Hamburglar85 07/25/2025

A cinematic masterpiece.

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Justin D.

@JDP_Cinema 07/25/2025

The performances are incredible and the story is so timely.

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Evan C

@RT74783562 07/18/2025

Mahdi Fleifel's #ToALandUnknown is an incredible look at the refugee struggle that doesn't shy away from the brutal moments. The films strength is in its two leads, who remain compelling & sympathetic, even when their actions becomes increasingly volatile. A captivating watch!

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Mahdi Fleifel

Director

Mahmoud Bakri

Chatila

Aram Sabbagh

Reda

Mohammad Alsurafa

Malik

Angeliki Papoulia

Tatiana

Mouataz Alshalton

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To a Land Unknown: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Chatila and Reda are saving to pay for fake passports to get out of Athens. But when Reda loses their hard-earned cash to his dangerous drug addiction, Chatila hatches an extreme plan, which involves them posing as smugglers and taking hostages in an effort to get him and his best friend out of their hopeless environment before it is too late.

Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Producer: Geoff Arbourne, Mahdi Fleifel
Screenwriter: Mahdi Fleifel, Fyzal Boulifa, Jason McColgan
Distributor: Watermelon Pictures
Production Co: Inside Out Films, Nakba Filmworks
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Crime, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Arabic
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 11, 2025, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $14.5K
Runtime: 1h 46m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.66:1)

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