In his third film after being banned from filming and travelling by his own Government, Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi takes the streets of the country’s capital of Tehran aboard of a taxi driven by him in this docufiction that approaches the audience to the reality in the streets of the Iranian metropolis.

All throughout the movie, which takes its entire runtime inside the aforementioned taxi, we are presented with a wide array of picturesque characters and situations that provide us with the various ways of thinking, behaviour and living of the Iranian society and its people.

Even though the film is a clear criticism on the double morality of the Iranian government and its intention to present to the world a certain image of the country while keeping secret the rest, where it actually succeeds in doing precisely that is on the most subtle (although clearly perceived) aspects and themes touched instead of the more directly constructed ones. Making the plots with for example the pirate video vendor, niece and the accidented husband and wife, highlights over the initial discussion between the robber and the teacher, the superstitious old women, the old friend that was robbed, the child who picks up trash or the speech from real-life human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh.

Technically, Panahi’s approach is very curious with using basically a couple of dashcams, one security camera on the backseats, his camera phone, and one small camera keeping the entire recording inside the doors still if sometimes, with those being pointed outside the vehicle, we can have a glimpse of activity outside of the car.

In any case, overall, we get a and interesting and unconventional piece of work that keeps you grabbed from start to finish, even though, as its obvious with these stories with so many different plotlines, some moments are more engaging and attention-grabbing than others.