It Was Just an Accident Review— High Ratings, Personal Letdown

Another politically bold film that holds a strong Rotten Tomatoes critics’ rating of 98 percent is It Was Just an Accident. A film that shows a balance between humor, horror, and human dignity didn’t really work for me.

This It Was Just an Accident review reflects my perspective that even a Palme d’Or–winning Cannes film may not resonate with every viewer.

Plot details of It Was Just an Accident (2025)

As the name suggests, the story demonstrates a chain of events that started from a mere accident. The opening scene of the film shows Eghbal (played by Ebrahim Azizi) traveling with his family, his wife and daughter, when his car hits a dog.

He enters a nearby shop to get help, but the garage owner, Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), is triggered by the sound of Eghbal’s prosthetic leg.

Vahid thinks Eghbal might be the one who tortured him in prison in the past and kidnapped Eghbal. This is where things go out of hand. Peep the trailer here:

Actors’ performances in It Was Just an Accident (2025)

The cast of It Was Just an Accident primarily consists of one professional and the remaining non-professional amateur actors. The only professional is Ebrahim Azizi, who played Eghbal. He did not appear as a central character for most of the film, but when he did at the end, his complex and mysterious nature left us scratching our heads as to whether he was telling the truth.

When it comes to acting of the rest, Vahid Mobasseri, who played Vahid, the mechanic, outshone them all. The character clearly faced massive trauma, which manifested in his physical movements in daily life. He was uncertain whether he deserved the punishment, revealing the compassion at the core of his heart. It was when he helped Eghbal’s wife and daughter at the hospital.  ​

The rest of the cast- Mariam Afshari as Shiva, Hadis Pakbaten as Goli, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr as Hamid, Georges Hashemzadeh as Salar, and Majid Panahi as Ali- were great in their own roles as they all seemed involved in the situation.

What do critics add to It Was Just an Accident review?

Clearly, with a 98 percent critics’ rating, It Was Just an Accident remains a well-reviewed film. Its critics’ consensus says,​

“Perhaps the most bluntly political film by Jafar Panahi yet, It Was Just an Accident is a defiant rebuke of authoritarianism that still delivers the entertainment value of a gripping thriller.” [Source]

The critics viewed Panahi’s story not just as related to one country but as a “warning to authoritarian regimes everywhere.” The long scenes of the film were not only some thought-simulating scenes but were emotionally and thematically moving. Overall, the critics found the film powerful yet amusing, with a wonderment at how such bold movies are still allowed in a legally strict country like Iran.

Fans’ reaction

The film received almost the same comments from the audience as the critics. However, those who didn’t like it much called it a “waste of time”. The long monologue scenes of the person who was increasingly infuriated over Eghbal left them uninterested and lacked the intimacy that could have led the viewers to connect. The ending was powerful, though, the audience admitted.

Is it worth watching?​

I don’t agree with the word “gripping” that most of the critics have used in their reviews. For me, the film struggled to hold my attention even an hour in. I found myself watching largely because of its critical acclaim and with the expectation that it might reveal something more compelling, especially after learning that it had been selected as France’s official submission for the Oscars, and is now successfully shortlisted for the upcoming Best International Feature award.

The director himself said that most of the actors in the film were amateur performers, except Ebrahim Azizi. It could be a reason that I found some of the performances forced, making it difficult for me to emotionally connect to them.​

The prime reason I was unable to like the film as the critics and the rest of the viewers is the absence of the story’s depth. This weakened the narrative for me, which was much needed to sustain its heavy themes of pain, trauma, identity, moral ambiguity, revenge, redemption, politics, and justice, despite the director’s significant political history.​

There were some positive elements to the feature, too. The film had no score; no intense, dramatic, or ominous music played in the background, which I found to be an effective choice. The director possibly wanted the audience to feel all the emotions on their own without relying on music to heighten seriousness, passion, or rage.  

Another element that I found quite intriguing is the deliberately ambiguous ending. It gave chills reminiscent of Memories of a Murder (2003), where the murder was still unsolved and the killer unknown. Yet, the protagonist looks directly into the camera, as if staring the killer in the eyes and silently declaring, “I will get you.”

Identically, the only sound of the limping footsteps was heard when the film ended, leaving audiences guessing where the story was heading. Whether it was Eghbal who was approaching Vahid or only the sound in his traumatic thoughts of the past.

What we liked

• Strong political boldness
• Powerful central performance
• The film’s moral ambiguity
• Effective use of silence
• The chilling open-ended conclusion
• Critical acclaim and thematic ambition

What could be better

• Lack of narrative depth
• Pacing issues
• Uneven performances
• Limited audience intimacy
• Balance of tone

Here’s a detailed breakdown of our rating for It Was Just an Accident (2025):

Story/plot	6/10
Characters and acting	8/10
Direction and pacing	6/10
Visuals and cinematography	6/10
Soundtrack/score	2/10
Themes and message	8/10
Emotional impact	6/10
Creativity/originality	7/10
Rewatchability	2/10

​Our rating: 5

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Is It Was Just an Accident (2025) available for online streaming?

Neon distributes It Was Just an Accident (2025) (PG-13) in selected theatres with some digital platforms where you can rent or purchase the film. It is available on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home.

Genre: Drama, thriller, mystery, adventure, crime, action

IMDb rating: 7.6

Rotten Tomatoes: 98 percent on Tomatometer (critics’ score) and 92 percent on Popcornmeter 

Cast: Vahid Mobasseri, Ebrahim Azizi, Mariam Afshari, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi

Director: Jafar Panahi

Writer: Jafar Panahi

Producer: Jafar Panahi

Release date: October 15, 2025

Movie runtime: 1 hour 45 minutes

Do you agree with the critics, or did the film leave you unconvinced despite its high ratings? Let’s talk.