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Law of Tehran

Name: Law of Tehran
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Released: 2019
Duration: 134 min

Representation Score

3.5/10

Limited

2019

Director

Saeed Roustaee

Runtime

134 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Law of Tehran is a gritty work of social realism that prioritizes a critique of institutional bureaucracy over the exploration of multi-layered identities. The film effectively portrays the friction between individuals and a rigid state apparatus, providing a localized look at systemic failure. However, the film lacks representation of underrepresented groups and adheres to traditional cultural frameworks. It does not engage with LGBTQ+ identities, diverse racial blending, or the subversion of gender roles. The inclusion of physical trauma is functional to the plot rather than a nuanced study of disability.

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Category Breakdown

Does Law of Tehran have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses on the social structures of contemporary Tehran and does not include narratives involving LGBTQ+ identities or queer themes.

How does Law of Tehran portray gender?

Limited

The character dynamics follow traditional societal norms and hierarchies. The film highlights masculine leadership and gendered power structures without challenging them.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Law of Tehran?

Fair

The story centers on the Iranian middle class and does not offer multi-ethnic or characters who reflect more than one aspect of diversity.

How does Law of Tehran represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative critiques institutional rigidity by showing legal and bureaucratic systems as obstructive. It explores the tension between individuals and the state's systemic failures.

Does Law of Tehran include disability representation?

Limited

Physical trauma from a hit-and-run serves as a plot catalyst for the legal drama. The film focuses on the legal aftermath rather than the lived experience of disability.

Present on Screen

Provides a deep, localized exploration of specific Iranian socioeconomic realities.
Offers a compelling critique of institutional rigidity and bureaucratic inefficiency.
Effectively portrays the psychological toll of systemic failure on individuals.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth gender narratives.
Does not challenge or subvert traditional gendered power dynamics.
Fails to provide nuanced explorations of disability or neurodivergence.

Official Synopsis

Samad is nobody’s fool. The narcotics officer has seen his share of a drug dealer’s lies and games, and his patience has come to run thin. While searching for the infamous drug baron Nasser Khakzad, he and his colleague Hamid scour the streets of Tehran, turning an overcrowded prison on its head. With his rough and dubious approach, Samad finally manages to find the criminal’s whereabouts – but things do not quite go according to plan...

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