IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT. The Perpetrator’s Perspective

To be honest, until recently I didn’t expect that I would be reviewing a new, fully fictional film by Jafar Panahi. Banned from creative work, the renowned Iranian director had, out of necessity, been developing a quasi-documentary formula for his “non-films” over the past two decades—films that blur the line between observation and creation. And it must be said that he did this so effectively that the hybrid form became his signature style. From a purely cinematic perspective, one might not have even felt the loss of his enforced departure from fiction. Now, however, after emigrating to Europe, the Circle director returns with a narrative feature that abandons the blending of reality layers—and does so in such style that It Was Just an Accident won the Palme d’Or in Cannes.

Panahi’s first full-fledged fiction film since Crimson Gold (2003) is built, on the one hand, on a classic motif of an inconspicuous chain of events triggering escalating drama, and on the other, on a clever misdirection. In the prologue, we meet a family during a nighttime car journey and the titular accident. Only later do we encounter the real protagonist—Vahid. Hidden in the back of the workshop where the family ends up, he recognizes in the father—or at least believes he does—his former torturer from the secret police, who abused him during his detention. This chance encounter awakens in the gentle and rather timid man a desire for retribution. What follows is a series of radical actions and a peculiar journey during which he crosses paths with others also wronged by the authoritarian regime.

At first, It Was Just an Accident resembles other politically charged Iranian dramas, such as those by Mohammad Rasoulof: we have a protagonist trapped in a moral vise and a narrative shedding light on the oppressive Iranian system that punishes dissent under any pretext. But Panahi quickly reminds us that his status as a master doesn’t stem solely from years of repression and artistic bans. The story swiftly veers into tragicomedy—where a dissection of modern Iran unfolds alongside a cleverly spun comedy of errors.

As a result, although psychologically intense and at times deeply unsettling, the film has a surprising lightness. a measure of Panahi’s directorial skill is how effortlessly he fuses seemingly contradictory emotional tones, crafting at once a modern tragedy of lives warped by the system and an absurdist comedy infused with irony.

It Was Just an Accident isn’t just precisely crafted in terms of its screenplay and dramaturgy—it also dazzles in its staging. Panahi arranges each sequence using simple but effective techniques. Nearly every scene is a precisely composed piece, devoid of fireworks but hitting the mark. This is exemplified by the powerful finale, which—with simple camera movements and sound editing—delivers a gut punch and provides one of the most memorable closing moments Iranian cinema has produced. All of this coexists harmoniously with the distinctive humor Panahi seems to have honed during his years of isolation and censorship.

Like No Bears or Taxi Tehran, It Was Just an Accident is ironic and biting—not only toward the omnipresent system but also toward ordinary human flaws. This lends the film a humane complexity, preventing its political themes from overwhelming the narrative. https://youtu.be/8HT86gDDFn4 At the same time, It Was Just an Accident is a sharp socio-political critique of contemporary Iran. It’s clear that Panahi, now with renewed freedom of expression, does not mince words. He strikes directly at the police state apparatus, its hypocrisy, and fundamentalism. The film’s characters face a moral dilemma: whether to remain faithful to their ideals or to seize the chance for revenge.

The film’s rotating ethical perspectives and direct questions about identity in the aftermath of physical and psychological trauma make it a profound exploration of life under dictatorship. Panahi reflects on the societal consequences of authoritarianism, the boundaries of subjective truth, and how decades of fundamentalist rule have shaped the collective mindset. He makes it painfully clear that the shadow of oppression never truly leaves the backs of Iranians. So even though at first glance it might seem that awarding Panahi’s new film the top prize at Cannes was a gesture of recognition for past achievements, it’s hard to fault the jury’s decision. It Was Just an Accident is, in fact, a very good, masterful film. In Panahi’s latest work, vivid depictions of secret police torture exist side by side with near-slapstick moments, and the director skillfully shows how tragedy, absurdity, and humor often coexist within the same events. This is not a film that sets new cinematic standards—Panahi here is more of a seasoned master craftsman, using his full toolkit and classic tropes.

And yet, it’s a masterful use of the cinematic language to tell a moving, profound story about the struggle to retain one’s humanity in an inhumane system.