Nawal (Mila Al Zahrani), a receptionist at a Riyadh police station, gets recruited to investigate the murder of an unidentified teenage girl whose body was found in the middle of the desert in Unidentified. Writer/director Haifaa al-Mansour and co-writer Brad Niemann have woven a consistently gripping and intriguing crime thriller. It begins by introducing the audience to Nawal before she rides along with the police to the scene of the crime in the desert. The only conclusion that they draw from mere observation is that the body must've been dumped there after she was attacked and killed. Nawal will stop at nothing to find out her name so that she won't receive a nameless burial. She visits high schools to inquire about missing students, but reaches obstacles when the school administration refuses to cooperate with her. What lengths she takes to solve the mystery and to determine who killed her won't be spoiled here, but it's worth mentioning that the plot gets increasingly complex as it progresses. The filmmakers have a terrific handle on exposition because they don't reveal too much information right away. They also provide Nawal with a backstory involving an abusive husband and a miscarriage which has traumatized her.

       To be fair, perceptive audience members will probably be able to predict the twist ending about 15 minutes before it gets revealed because of something that one of the characters says that can only imply a hidden motive. That's a minor and forgivable flaw, though, and the twist might even make you tempted to rewatch the movie from a new perspective. The pace moves slowly, so don't expect any edge-your-seat suspense; the suspense builds very gradually. This isn't the kind of crime thriller that relies on action sequences and gore to be engaging, nor is it afraid to get into dark and gritty territory. In other words, it's a movie for grown ups who appreciate an intelligent, slow-burning and grounded crime thriller. At a running time of 1 hour and 39 minutes, Unidentified opens June 19th, 2026 at Angelika Film Center via Sony Pictures Classics.   

 

      In  The Wedding Entertainer: The Tale of Moishe Badhan,  Moishe Striker (Shuli Rand), a badchan whose as a badchan, a.k.a. a Jewish wedding MC, was ruined because of his alcoholism, needs to raise $20,000 for the wedding of his daughter, Sarah-Leah (Malky Goldman). He gets a chance to resurrect his career when he accepts a gig as being a co-badchan with a younger badchan, Meshulam  (Elon Gold), for the wedding of the son of his best friend, Bomchik (Tal Friedman. Director Gidi Dar and screenwriter Shuli Rand have made a funny and delightful comedy with a terrific ensemble cast. The humor is often witty and tongue-in-cheek without pandering to the lowest common denominator or becoming mean-spirited. The filmmakers grasp the concept that comedy often derives from tragedy and, most importantly, deftly balance the film's comedy and seriousness while avoiding tonal unevenness. It doesn't have any big surprises nor does it go over-the-top with its humor---this isn't The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob or a Kuni Lemel film---but it's nonetheless a lighthearted, wise and amusing comedy that will lift your spirits. At a running time of 1 hour and 42 minutes, The Wedding Entertainer is one of the best films of Tribeca Festival. It's currently seeking distribution.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 1




 

      In What is to Come,  Yehudit (Ronit Yudkevitch) has just become a widow and inherited the debts of her husband. She leaves home tio go on a trip to Eilat without telling anyone, and struggles to make ends meet before finding a job as a maid at a hotel. Writer/director Ruthy Pribar is luck to have Ronit Yudkevitch in the lead role because she gives a genuinely heartfelt performance that rises above the shallow and pedestrian screenplay. Yehudit remains an underwritten character, though, and the film's "slice-of-life" scenes as the wafer-thin plot follows her don't have enough emotional depth.   What was her relationship like with her husband? What's going on inside of her? The screenplay neglects to open the window into her heart, mind and soul enough. Moreover, the pace moves very slowly with low narrative momentum, and the film says nothing insightful about grief. For a better movie about a grieving widow who goes on a trip without giving anyone prior notice, see The Shameless Old Lady. At a running time of 1 hour and 22 minutes, What is to Come is currently seeking distribution.  

Number of times I checked my watch: 3


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