Overview
A petty criminal's escape plan takes an unexpected turn when he becomes an unlikely community leader.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- irreverent
- warm
- lazy sunday
- world cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an unusually joyful and uplifting Iranian comedy whose sharp social satire is matched by strong comic timing.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Reza's assumption of clerical robes lets the film scrutinize public attitudes toward clergymen and religious authority.
Reza begins by disguising himself to escape prison but is gradually shaped by the villagers' expectations of a cleric.
Reza postpones his plans to flee Iran after villagers accept him and depend on him for religious duties.
The film uses sharp wit and satire to address post-revolutionary Iranian social conditions without abandoning warmth.
Films like The Lizard, and why
The Great Dictator
satirical comedy using disguise and mistaken identity to critique social institutions
The Full Monty
warm, humanist comedy in which an outsider is embraced by a community and transformed by responsibility
The Death of Stalin
social satire balancing broad comic situations with compassionate commentary on class and authority
Movie Details
- Director
- Kamal Tabrizi
- Release Date
- 2004-02-04
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (94)
Cast
- Parviz Parastouei
- Bahram Ibrahimi
- Shahrokh Foroutanian
- Farideh Sepah Mansour
- Maede Tahmasbi
- Ali Abedini
- Bahram Ebrahimi
- Cryus Hemati
- Mehran Rajabi
- Soheila Razavi
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Brew
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Lizard about?
- A petty Iranian criminal impersonates a cleric to escape prison, only to find himself responsible for the village community that welcomes him.
- What is The Lizard like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Lizard as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Lizard violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Lizard as mild.
- What did critics think of The Lizard?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an unusually joyful and uplifting Iranian comedy whose sharp social satire is matched by strong comic timing.
- Which films are like The Lizard?
- Films with a similar feel include The Great Dictator, The Full Monty, and The Death of Stalin.
- How long is The Lizard?
- The Lizard runs 111 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Lizard?
- In United States, The Lizard streams on Brew.
