Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- awkward
- sardonic
- bleak
- arthouse film night
- iranian cinema discovery
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The protagonist’s unexplained illness and compulsive eating make his attempted entry into a poor family both absurd and unsettling.
The central premise involves a sick man seeking marriage to a mother within an economically vulnerable household.
The prospective bride belongs to a large poor family, making economic hardship central to the domestic conflict.
The man’s disease and excessive eating distinguish him from the family and drive his uneasy integration into their home.
Films like Nothing, and why
A Separation
Shared Iranian social realism, darkly comic family dynamics, and an outsider entering a strained household
The Song of Sparrows
Shared bittersweet humor, poverty-focused social observation, and morally complicated domestic relationships
The Cow
Shared Iranian tragicomedy, eccentric characterization, and critique of social and economic pressures
Movie Details
- Director
- Abdolreza Kahani
- Release Date
- 2010-03-17
- Runtime
- 84 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (4)
Cast
- Ahmad Mehranfar
- Mehran Ahmadi
- Nayereh Farahani
- Pantea Bahram
- Mehdi Hashemi
- Negar Javaherian
- Baran Kosari
- Saber Abar
- Marziyeh Boroumand
Common questions
- What is Nothing about?
- An unsettling Iranian tragicomedy follows a ravenous, ill outsider who seeks marriage as a way into a struggling family’s crowded world.
- What is Nothing like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Nothing as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Nothing violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Nothing.
- Which films are like Nothing?
- Films with a similar feel include A Separation, The Song of Sparrows, and The Cow.
- How long is Nothing?
- Nothing runs 84 minutes.
