Buddha Collapsed Out Of Shame review

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Set in Afghanistan, around the rubble of the giant Buddha statue that was destroyed by the Taliban, the second film by 19-year-old Hana Makhmalbaf (newest member of Iran’s famed filmmaking dynasty) is equal parts charming and disturbing. It starts out in cute mode, following the misadventures of an enterprising six-year-old (Nikbakht Noruz) as she goes about the tricky business of purchasing a school notebook. But events darken after she’s apprehended en route to a classroom by a boy-gang intent on holding her hostage as part of their brutish war games. Fantasy and reality begin to merge – a paper aeroplane crashes out of the sky in real flames – and it’s a minefield deciding whether or not the kids are just playing. Startling and original, Makhmalbaf’s film draws some frightening conclusions about the effect of war on young minds.

NOVERDICT

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.