Missing place of horror in Iranian cinema

Synopsis: Roya and Shirin are close friends. Farhad, Shirin’s brother, is in love with Roya. The two friends pass their university entrance exams in a small town near Tehran. They register to attend college despite their families’ disagreement and are obliged to rent an old house, since the dormitory is not ready yet. The local people believe that ghosts live in the ruins which are beside their recently rented house. Once, on a rainy night, Roya and Farhad go to the ruins to find the ghosts and Jinns, and that is the beginning of their problems.

Horror movies have always been an interesting theme for filmmakers and moviegoers ever since the beginning of cinema. Iranian cinema was not an exception and has also made use of the genre over the years. The late Samuel Khachikian was the director who pioneered horror movies in Iran.

Iranian horror movies have had many ups and downs, and the genre has not been able to find its real position among audiences. Still, audiences have proven that they welcome any kind of horror film.

“Girls’ Dormitory” can only be regarded as a new attempt at making a horror film. Regardless of the story, the film has several weaknesses in technique. It also lacks a logical plot and has a choppy flow. Accidental mishaps and events are added to hold the audience’s attention.

Its attempt at comic relief has somehow ruined the main mood of the horror genre.   

Suspense is not maintained properly, so the audience faces a film with a theme of melodrama and comedy alongside a love story and a horror story with a predictable ending.

The same is true of the technique and structure of the film. In horror movies, music follows a special formula, but the film’s soundtrack is not up to par.

The cinematography and lighting are also not up to international standards. But, of course, it should be mentioned that the good stage design has helped create the horror mood.

At least we can say that “Girls’ Dormitory” was good practice for the producers and filmmaker, and if the team continues to work on horror movies with more attention in the future, we can expect to see films that break box-office records.

RM/HG

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MNA