Everybody Knows (Todos lo saben) (2018)

Everybody Knows is Asghar Farhadi's Spanish-language debut. What made him decide to make this movie in Spanish, I don't know, as it isn't really a uniquely Spanish movie. It's a kidnapping drama about secrets in a small town. As the title suggests, everybody knows, everybody but the audience. But even the audience can deduce the secret constantly hinted at. I think the real twist is that knowing the secret doesn't solve the mystery. It doesn't answer who the kidnapper is. It sort of makes that central mystery inconsequential. And that's why though we get an answer at the end, the movie abruptly comes to a fade to white close. It's not about the kidnapper, but the secret.

The Salesman (Forushande) (2016)

After watching Elle, it was refreshing to see this more delicate depiction of an assaulted woman. Iran gets a bad wrap in the West, but it is a much more nuanced society than we give it credit for. It is simultaneously modern and traditional. Asghar Farhadi is a master at his craft. Shahab Hosseini and Taraneh Alidoosti both give very strong performances as actors performing Death of a Salesman. I didn't quite understand the reference, but I think it has to do with the husband being so focused on his own goals that he doesn't see what his wife actually wants. The movie almost takes a Prisoners like turn. But it isn't quite that sadistic and dark. And it's not as loud as you would expect in an American revenge story. No, it is thoughtful. This movie took a lot of turns that are rather unexpected. It is suspenseful and the last act is super intense and unpredictable. Then the ending is left a little open ended. I wasn't positive how to interpret it, but I think they separate.