“It Was Just an Accident,” an exploration of ethics and revenge, winner of the 2025 Cannes Palme d’Or. Screened at El Gouna Film Festival (GFF), It Was Just an Accident is a dark comedy thriller, gripping audiences with ethical questions, striking visuals, and slow-building tension. Directed by Jafar Panahi, the film dives deep into memory, justice, and survival, posing the question, “Is revenge ever worth losing your morals over?”
The Story
The film follows Vahid, an auto mechanic still haunted by the trauma of his imprisonment. When a man enters his shop, Vahid recognizes him instantly by the sound of his prosthetic leg. The same sound he remembers from the man who tortured him in prison. Overcome by rage and pain, Vahid follows and ultimately kidnaps the man in a desperate act of vengeance. Panahi allows the story to slowly unfold naturally through silence, long takes, and emotional restraint.
The Red Light
In the opening scene, Eghbal (Ebrahim Aziz) is illuminated by the red light of the car after accidentally hitting a dog and disposing of it on the side of the road. His wife dismisses this saying, “It was just an accident… what will be will be.” This chilling scene sets the tone for the film’s moral ambiguity, foreshadowing Eghbal’s role.
The ending scene flips this on its head. Eghbal faces death under the same red light, stripped of his composure, breaking down to a real person, humanizing him. The scene, captured in a single take, is one of the film’s most raw and emotional moments.
Exploration of Ethics
Throughout the film, the characters remain painfully aware of the ethical gray areas of what they are pursuing. While some have tried to rebuild their lives, the weight of their past lingers. The sweetness of revenge, they realize, is fleeting, leaving behind emptiness rather than closure.
The desert scene captures this internal conflict that all the characters are undergoing. Against the desert backdrop, the characters’ emotions and flaws unravel, confronting the cost of vengeance.
A Journey of Discovery
The van carrying Vahid and his companions becomes more than transportation — it symbolizes their journey toward confronting their pain and grappling with their decisions. Each stop along the way brings them closer to the realization that revenge may not be the redemption they hoped for. Exploring ethics and revenge.
Cinematic Mastery and Performances
Panahi crafts tension with patience, using silence, long shots, and subtle humor to balance the film’s heavy themes. The cinematography captures Iran’s natural beauty, with the sounds of birds and dogs grounding.
The cast delivers raw, moving performances, blending humor and emotion seamlessly. Despite its dark premise, It Was Just an Accident is a gripping watch that keeps audiences on edge until its final moment, making the audience wonder what the right choice is in a situation like that.