61
Metascore
21 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90Screen DailyAllan HunterScreen DailyAllan HunterThe combination of exuberant energy, wise-cracking humour and warmhearted emotion makes for a captivating crowdpleaser.
- 75Original-CinKim HughesOriginal-CinKim HughesThere is a lovely kookiness to The Persian Version which elevates an essentially straight-up mother-daughter conflict story with myriad snappy visuals and storytelling devices before settling into its main narrative trajectory, advancing the idea that we are all just doing the best we can with whatever tools we have.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinThe Hollywood ReporterLeslie FelperinThis lively, likable, if somewhat on-the-nose work grabs viewer attention with fourth-wall-breaking monologues, jocular explanatory graphics, and tightly choreographed dance numbers to vintage American and Iranian pop songs.
- 70VarietyLisa KennedyVarietyLisa KennedyThe Persian Version is a bit madcap and self-indulgent, not unlike its protagonist, before it settles into a groove that foregrounds Shirin.
- 63Movie NationRoger MooreMovie NationRoger MooreIt’s meandering and a little messy, and voice-over narrated almost to death. But the vivacious presence of newcomer Layla Mohammadi as spitfire daughter Leila and Liousha Noor as Shireen, her stern, disapproving “Strength of Silence” mother carry it with flashes of snark, spite and soul.
- 50The PlaylistMarya E. GatesThe PlaylistMarya E. GatesThere’s no denying the weight of The Persian Version’s final sequence. Yet, it’s an ending that feels rushed, both because of the sequence’s continual tonal shifts between heartfelt drama and slapstick comedy but also because Leila’s final bout of emotional maturity feels unearned.
- 50Washington PostMichael O'SullivanWashington PostMichael O'SullivanThe Persian Version is an ambitious effort to suture up the rift between past and present, parent and child. But like its heroine, it also suffers from a bit of split personality. It’s a tale with too much drama for the candy-colored comedy of its telling, and too much comedy for the drama to leave much of a mark.
- 49Paste MagazineJacob OllerPaste MagazineJacob OllerThe voiceover-heavy storytelling is exhausting and weightless, despite Keshavarz’s clear affection for and closeness to these women.