What begins as a simple act of kindness spirals into a harrowing journey of revenge in this morally intricate and psychologically sharp thriller from the legendary Jafar Panahi (Offside, Crimson Gold).

After offering help to a man named Eghbal (Ebrahim Azizi) following a late-night car accident, Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri) becomes convinced that he recognizes the stranger’s voice as that of his former torturer from a brutal prison sentence. Driven by a thirst for justice, Vahid gathers others who endured the same cruel interrogations and kidnaps Eghbal, determined to make the man pay. However, Eghbal passionately insists—convincingly—that they have the wrong person.

Panahi, no stranger to the harsh realities of Iranian authorities, directs It Was Just an Accident after his own recent imprisonment for dissent against the government. Despite the darkness of his subject matter, this film maintains Panahi’s signature dark humor and seething critique of fate’s cruel ironies. A well-deserved Palme d’Or winner at Cannes, this film is a relentlessly powerful, dizzying ride through moral ambiguity and societal injustice.