About Elly
A seemingly carefree Caspian seaside picnic becomes a tense moral labyrinth when a guest disappears and the friends’ protective lies begin to unravel.
Overview
A seemingly perfect getaway turns into a haunting mystery when a child goes missing.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- thought-provoking
- claustrophobic
- serious film night
- arthouse movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a gripping, universally acclaimed moral mystery powered by exceptional performances, precise storytelling, and thought-provoking questions about deception and social responsibility.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sepideh's attempts to manage introductions and protect others transform small falsehoods into an escalating disappearance mystery.
The group’s responses to Elly, her possible engagement, and the crisis are governed by honor, gender roles, and communal judgment.
The friends repeatedly revise their understanding of Elly and their own conduct as new information changes the meaning of earlier events.
Picnic routines, volleyball, tea, glances, and cramped conversations generate suspense without overt stylistic spectacle.
Films like About Elly, and why
A Separation
shared social realism, moral ambiguity, escalating mystery, and ensemble conflict
L'Avventura
shared disappearance mystery, relationship tension, ethical uncertainty, and psychologically charged realism
The Hunt
shared tightly controlled suspense, deception, social pressure, and shifting perceptions
The Celebration
shared ensemble secrets, conversational tension, and morally destabilizing revelations
Movie Details
- Director
- Asghar Farhadi
- Release Date
- 2009-06-06
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (570)
Cast
- Golshifteh Farahani
- Shahab Hosseini
- Payman Maadi
- Merila Zarei
- Ahmad Mehranfar
- Mani Haghighi
- Rana Azadivar
- Taraneh Alidoosti
- Saber Abar
- Milad BagheriFard
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Fandor Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is About Elly about?
- A seemingly carefree Caspian seaside picnic becomes a tense moral labyrinth when a guest disappears and the friends’ protective lies begin to unravel.
- What is About Elly like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of About Elly as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is About Elly violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in About Elly as mild.
- What did critics think of About Elly?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a gripping, universally acclaimed moral mystery powered by exceptional performances, precise storytelling, and thought-provoking questions about deception and social responsibility.
- Which films are like About Elly?
- Films with a similar feel include A Separation, L'Avventura, The Hunt, and The Celebration.
- How long is About Elly?
- About Elly runs 119 minutes.
- Where can I watch About Elly?
- In United States, About Elly streams on Philo, Fandor Amazon Channel.
