It Was Just an Accident

Play trailer

1:55

It Was Just an Accident

PG-13

2025

1h 45m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

98%

Tomatometer

220 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

50+ Verified Ratings

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

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Jared Richards

The Age (Australia)

Aug 3

5/5

How do you make something this visually arresting, well-paced and acted under constant threat of imprisonment? Without context, this is a remarkable film; with it, it’s awe-inspiring.

Go to Full Review

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.

Go to Full Review

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.

Go to Full Review

Luke Goodsell

The Saturday Paper

Jul 15

At what point does forgiveness cease to be an option in the face of tyranny? Jafar Panahi's film turns over the ethical dimensions of the question.

Go to Full Review

Lexi Amoriello

Movie Recs by Lex

Jul 10

Panahi injects a surprising amount of levity into a story that’s both dark and devastating, striking a pitch-perfect balance that keeps the audience laughing, engaged, and unsettled in equal measure.

Go to Full Review

Trevor Leavell

Pop Culture Leftovers

Jun 4

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.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Advait

Jan 13

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

See more

Donald T

Nov 15

Great film. Brilliant.

See more

Starla C

Nov 14

didn't enjoy the story at all...

See more

roya

Nov 11

An excellent movie full of meaning and connotations!

See more

CA voter

Nov 10

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

See more

John D

Nov 2

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

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Jafar Panahi

Director

Vahid Mobasseri

Vahid

Ebrahim Azizi

Eghbal

Mariam Afshari

Shiva

Hadis Pakbaten

Golrokh

Majid Panahi

Le marié

Dark Waters

89%

95%

Dark Waters

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Dark Waters

Monster

97%

90%

Monster

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Monster

The Salesman

96%

84%

The Salesman

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Salesman

Last Breath

78%

91%

Last Breath

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Last Breath

The Past

92%

83%

The Past

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Awards Leaderboard: Best Movies of 2025

Wicked For Good, One Battle After Another, Frankenstein Named Top Films of 2025 by AFI

One Battle After Another Takes Best Film at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards

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

0:52

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

1:09

It Was Just an Accident: Trailer 1

1:55

View more videos

View more photos

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)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings