It Was Just an Accident

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It Was Just an Accident

PG-13

2025

1h 45m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

217 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

50+ Verified Ratings

What begins as a minor accident sets in motion a series of escalating consequences.

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Critics Consensus

Perhaps the most bluntly political film by Jafar Panahi yet, It Was Just an Accident is a defiant rebuke of authoritarianism that still delivers the entertainment value of a gripping thriller.

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Wenlei Ma

The Nightly (AU)

Feb 10

4/5

The magnificent It Was Just An Accident's willingness to ask questions about the very nature of justice and revenge comes from a place of great generosity and humanity – and no one would have blamed Jafar Panahi if he was lacking in either.

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Jake Wilson

Sydney Morning Herald

Jan 28

4/5

While Panahi doesn’t presume to say when forgiveness is preferable to justice, he takes the question seriously – and while the ending isn’t exactly reassuring, some degree of hope is implied in the way he allows his characters freedom to make the choice.

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Roxana Hadadi

Pop Culture Happy Hour (NPR Podcast)

Jan 27

It is absolutely a political thriller. It is absolutely a character study. It is also hilarious.

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Trevor Leavell

Pop Culture Leftovers

6d

What starts as a comedy-of-errors turns into an intense interrogation of the complicity to the oppression of the Iranian regime. It's such a nuance and dense conversation in a film that shocks and awes at every corner with excellent character moments.

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Graeme Tuckett

The Post NZ

Apr 8

5/5

This is a wonderful film. The story unfurls in unexpected and raucously comical ways, even though the film is deeply moving and occasionally quite terrifying. ⁠ ⁠

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A.S. Hamrah

n+1

Mar 27

With It Was Just an Accident, Panahi has decided to make a film that meets any audience more than halfway.

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Advait

Jan 13

Brilliant movie about the dissidents of the Iranian regime and what they had to go through,many thanks to the director

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Donald T

Nov 15

Great film. Brilliant.

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Starla C

Nov 14

didn't enjoy the story at all...

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roya

Nov 11

An excellent movie full of meaning and connotations!

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CA voter

Nov 10

Storyline twisted to reveal Iranian history - the ensemble actors all well cast

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John D

Nov 2

Movie was crazy well acted and paced. Long shots were long without seeming show-y or film school-y

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Ebrahim Azizi

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Mariam Afshari

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Hadis Pakbaten

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'It Was Just an Accident' Director Jafar Panahi Recommends Favorite Films

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'It Was Just an Accident' Director Jafar Panahi on Social Filmmaking and the Future

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It Was Just an Accident: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

What begins as a minor accident sets in motion a series of escalating consequences.

Director: Jafar Panahi
Producer: Jafar Panahi
Screenwriter: Jafar Panahi
Distributor: NEON
Production Co: Les Films Pelléas
Rating: PG-13 (Strong Language|Smoking|Thematic Elements|Violence)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Persian
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 15, 2025, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 16, 2025
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.8M
Runtime: 1h 45m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)