agmtw logo
search

Cairo Conspiracy (2022)

Cairo Conspiracy (2022)

7.7

A taut conspiracy thriller set in the intrigue-filled walls of an Islamic university

Movie

Denmark, Finland
Arabic
Drama, Thriller
2022

TLDR

Life as a village fisherman suddenly doesn’t look so bad after all!

What it's about

When the Grand Imam dies, a fresh-faced student at a highly esteemed Islamic university becomes a pawn in the Egyptian government’s battle to exert control over the institution.

The take

When he’s accepted into the prestigious Islamic university Al-Azhar, fisherman’s son Adam (Tawfeek Barhom) gets an eye-opening education — but not the kind he expected. A place associated with notions of purity is imagined as a hotbed of hypocrisy and corruption here, as naive young Adam finds himself unwittingly embroiled in a state plot to seize control of Al-Azhar (because, as one government official puts it, “We can’t accept having two pharaohs in the land”). Cairo Conspiracy's intricate plot confronts monsters in government and strips away religious leaders’ veneer of divinity as a reminder that they’re merely fallible men. What's more, the film grapples with the knotty mess of politics raging inside the institution’s walls in such a way that even its palatial courtyard feels claustrophobic. Rife with paranoia and subterfuge, Cairo Conspiracy feels utterly unique thanks to this skillful transposing of the shadowy machinations of courtly intrigue dramas and '70s paranoid thrillers into a very contemporary Egyptian setting.

What stands out

The film’s unique setting isn’t just for show; it’s at the philosophical center of Cairo Conspiracy’s interrogation of religious hypocrisy and authoritarian state corruption. Writer-director Tarek Saleh weaves a complex web of interests in his portrait of the institution, one that feels far more nuanced and considered than many Western depictions of the Arab and Islamic worlds — thoughtfulness that, like its never-before-seen setting, feels rare.

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Once Were Warriors (1994)

A Maori family survives in an alienating Auckland in this raw, tragic drama

8.0

My Old Ass (2024)

A pleasant mix of comedy and coming-of-age that may or may not leave you in tears

8.0

Silenced (2011)

A brutal and harrowing exposé of the schoolwide abuse case that sparked outrage in Korea

9.0

The Substance (2024)

Demi Moore swaps bodies in this standout chaotic body dysmorphia horror

8.3

Laapataa Ladies (2024)

Two brides are accidentally swapped in this refreshing comedy of errors

8.9

Look Back (2024)

Art connects people through time and space in this short and sweet drama

9.0

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

8.1

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

Memoir of a Snail (2024)

A crack of hope shines through in this heartbreaking animated film about preservation and perseverance

8.6

His Three Daughters (2024)

Three sisters deal with life and death in this moving family portrait

8.2

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.