Horror/Thriller | Saudi Arabia | 2023

“Cover it so the mother won’t see her child. Cover it.”

If you ever wanted to see a girl battle a camel in the desert while insulting everyone she meets, this film will be perfect for you.

The opening sequence caught me up, and I was sold on the film and engaged with it straight away. The protagonist is plucky and wroth. She keeps insulting everyone except her boyfriend, who she hisses at sometimes but seems mostly polite. Apparently her father is important and this is normal? She is fairly ferocious and extremely rude and I love it.

The duel between protagonist and angry camel is not to be missed, and there are a bunch of similarly entertaining sequences. In the meantime, I am now scared of camels. They are ill behaved and come at you with tooth and hoof.

The plot takes a range of turns, never resting in one place for long, and it is never dull. A favorite sequence involves leaving a tent. You’ll know. It is three seconds of total badass. There are so many hilarious and/or violent moments like this.

Her challenge is that she keeps getting in her own way by irritating everyone, including when they help her, and it makes her situation much more difficult than if she were polite and accepted help like a sane human. I wonder if there is a caste thing or social dynamics with her father that I don’t have the context for, because one person says to her that he knows he is dirt but he can help.

This is a good year for thrillers, with Red Rooms hovering around favorite film of the year for me, May December, which is excellent and which I will write up shortly, and now Naga. They’re all so different and each worthwhile in its own way. I did not really think I liked this genre because it sounded like horror-lite but it is growing on me quickly and I think I will be watching and reviewing these too.

Thanks for reading; hope you will enjoy this film.

Horror/Thrillers I have Known and Loved
Saudi Arabia | 2023
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💎 Slightly Hidden Horror Gems I 2012
🌱 Hidden Horror Candidates
🗂️ Index of Lists (needs an update)

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