Naga
A secret romantic escape across Riyadh's dunes becomes a darkly comic survival ordeal when a stranded young Saudi woman faces both social restrictions and a vengeful camel.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- absurdist
- darkly comic
- late night thriller viewing
- arabic cinema exploration
What critics said
Critics broadly find the film an inventive but uneven Saudi thriller that combines desert peril with social satire.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sarah becomes stranded among Riyadh's dunes, while the pursuing camel turns the landscape into a survival threat.
The premise turns Sarah's secret romantic outing and parental restrictions into an absurd, pressure-filled critique of Saudi social expectations.
Sarah secretly leaves her parents' home for a date, making personal freedom and concealment central to the conflict.
Sarah's discreet date with Saad is the concrete decision that strands her in the desert and initiates the survival ordeal.
Films like Naga, and why
Theeb
shared desert survival thriller tension, satirical social observation, and a young protagonist navigating restrictive circumstances
Thelma & Louise
shared claustrophobic social pressure, darkly comic danger, and female-centered escape narrative
After Hours
shared absurdist thriller energy, nocturnal peril, and satire of social constraints
Movie Details
- Director
- Meshal Al-Jaser
- Release Date
- 2023-09-08
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Rating
- 5.1 / 10 (46)
Cast
- Adwa Bader
- Yazeed Almajyul
- Jubran Al-Jubran
- Khalid Bin Shaddad
- Amal Alharbi
- Mutlaq Althubaiti
- Ali Alduwian
- Oumkalthoum Sarah Bard
- Mariam Alshagrawi
- Abdullah Alqasim
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Naga about?
- A secret romantic escape across Riyadh's dunes becomes a darkly comic survival ordeal when a stranded young Saudi woman faces both social restrictions and a vengeful camel.
- What is Naga like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Naga as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Naga violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Naga as moderate.
- What did critics think of Naga?
- Critics broadly find the film an inventive but uneven Saudi thriller that combines desert peril with social satire.
- Which films are like Naga?
- Films with a similar feel include Theeb, Thelma & Louise, and After Hours.
- How long is Naga?
- Naga runs 113 minutes.
- Where can I watch Naga?
- In United States, Naga streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
