🎥 Deranged, distinguished gentlemen: In Al Sada Al Afadel, filmmakers Mostafa Sakr, Mohamed Ezz El Din, and Abdelrahman Gawish join forces to pen one of the year’s most ridiculously absurd — yet masterfully produced — stories.

Directed by Karim El Shennawi, the film’s events unfold over two days during Eid El Fitr in a rural Egyptian village. Galal Aboulfadl (Bayoumi Fouad) is the Aboulfadl family patriarch. After passing away, he leaves behind quite a large family: his wife Samira (Entissar), his elder son Tarek (Mohamed Mamdouh), his other son Hegazy (Mohamed Shahin), his daughter Nahed (Donia Maher), their two paternal uncles, Kheiry (Ashraf Abdelbaky) and Mamdouh (Ismail Farghaly), and Noura (Nahed El Sebai), Mamdouh’s fiancée and cousin. The household is turned upside down following Galal’s death when Samir Italia — a con artist to whom Galal owed money — shows up and threatens the family.

And while that’s happening, we meet comedic trio Gohary (Taha Desouky), Farouk (Ali Sobhy), and Mahmoud (Michel Milad) — brought together by an unbreakable bond of tomfoolery and drug use. Their latest adventure? A heist on the post office right next to the Aboulfadl house while the funeral’s underway and people are distracted. Sounds simple, right? Well, let’s just say it doesn’t go as planned.

Al Sada Al Afadel was a recipe for success from the get-go. Since debuting, the film has achieved sweeping success, and how could it not? The film caters to mass audiences in every shape and form — a ludicrous premise, an airtight plot, and solid comedy (regardless of a few bad puns here and there). We found ourselves literally laughing out loud at least three times. Casting was on point, and every actor — from main to guest — delivered a stellar performance. The icing on the cake? The film’s soundtrack, which adeptly captured the story’s absurdity and gave us an earworm that slithered its way to our brains.

This is a film so positively ridiculous we couldn’t help but feel impressed. From the illogical dramatics and their ensuing butterfly effect, to the satirical dialogue, and dark comedy that permeates every scene, Al Sada Al Afadel secured the only victory that matters: the audience.

Another hit for up-and-coming director Karim El Shennawi. Al Sada Al Afadel is a brilliant new addition to the young director’s oeuvre, proving that respecting the viewer’s time by delivering something worthy of it is a course of action that indeed pays off. El Shennawi has great potential, and every genre he tackles proves fertile ground for his talents. From powerful television dramas such as Qabeel and Lam Shamseya to big screen hits such as Daye, El Shennawi has proven himself a rising star to be reckoned with.

WHERE TO WATCH- Al Sada Al Afadel is screening at Vox Cinemas in City Center Almaza, Mall of Egypt, and Mall of Alexandria. You can also catch the film at City Stars Cinema, CFCM and District 5’s Scene Cinema, Cima Arkan, Zawya, and P90 Cinemas. Watch the trailer on YouTube (runtime: 1:51).

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