In his second theatrical feature, Mehran Modiri, one of Iran’s most beloved satirical TV comedians, turns his hand to the thriller genre, with mixed results. He writes, directs and performs in the intense and increasingly contrived social issues thriller “6 AM,” in which a small incident escalates into a major tragedy. Although this independent feature mostly feels like an average TV drama, it still paints a surprisingly critical portrait of the country by showing how suddenly and completely the state can interfere in the lives of ordinary citizens behind closed doors.
Philosophy student Sarah (Samira Hassanpour) nervously prepares to catch a 6 a.m. flight to Toronto, where she will live for the next three years while pursuing her doctorate. While eating what she jokingly refers to as “the last supper” with her university professor parents and brother Siavash (Mehrdad Siddiqui), she is interrupted by a call from her best friend Fariba (Mona Farjad), who insists that Sarah stop by the final gathering. From her peers, and will not allow her to say no. Sarah gives in, marking the first of a number of bad decisions that will haunt her over the course of the evening.
The gathering, hosted by Fariba and Beeman (Mansour Nasseri) in a spacious Western-style apartment featuring an exotic selection of art, proves larger than expected, as male and female friends eat pizza and drink illegal alcohol while discussing some social problem, including rising rents. Even though Sarah really needs to go to the airport, Fariba has several musical performances planned and won’t let Sarah out the door before they happen.
At the 35-minute mark, the doorbell rings, but instead of friendlier faces showing up to bid Sarah farewell, the police arrive, acting on a citizen’s report of a disturbance. Now, it’s actually ready for Sarah to make her trip. With the possibility that the officers at the party might force her to go to the police station, her friends help her hide in an air duct. The remaining 80 minutes feature surprises that are best discovered in the moment, as the tension remains high as events gradually become more far-fetched.
Modiri, who also appears as a high-ranking security services hostage negotiator in the film’s final section, peppers the screenplay with audio-visual cues. The dialogue includes a large number of references to the words “last” and “ultimate.” However, in a more innovative choice, it avoids the ticking clock device that another director might use to build tension as time runs out, and instead fades to black between its brief scenes, instilling a sense of finality, claustrophobia, and dread.
Aside from Sarah, the supposedly smart woman who keeps making stupid choices, the other characters are completely one-dimensional. As her supportive brother, Sedighian is completely unconvincing in his recent actions. The low-budget production design oscillates between the overtly obvious (Sarah framed behind the locked, boarded-up apartment bars) and the puzzling (why is Bayman’s apartment furnished with a huge portrait of Marilyn Monroe, a copy of Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring and Da). Vinci’s outstretched hands?)
The film was released in Iran this summer, but failed to attract much audience. In a country plagued by social problems and where there are plenty of less-than-talented writers and directors imitating Asghar Farhadi, it’s no wonder comedies do best at the domestic box office.