THE BADGER
Goorkan
UK Premiere
An Iranian abduction thriller, ‘The Badger’ follows mother Soodeh Sharifzadegan as she tirelessly gathers a ransom for her kidnapped son Matiar.
Goorkan
An Iranian abduction thriller, ‘The Badger’ follows mother Soodeh Sharifzadegan as she tirelessly gathers a ransom for her kidnapped son Matiar.
Soodeh (Vishka Asayesh) is in the midst of her planning for her second marriage and dealing with her termite-infested rental home. She applies to the US visa lottery and hires a termite extermination company that uses badgers to seek out the core of the infestation.
Soodeh must confront both her estranged father and ex-husband for help to pay the ransom. In the end, ‘The Badger’ is not what it seems, and the true kidnapper is not who you would expect. Mollaie’s film is brilliantly paced, and he layers his story with foreboding images. A helmeted man on a motorcycle who seems to be following Soodah, the increasing cracks on the wall of her house, the camera constantly circling Soodah as her own cracks begin to show. A smart and incisive thriller and a fascinating look at modern Iran.