Mohammed Aldokhei
Overview
Failed entrepreneur and struggling dad Sattam finds himself tangled in a madcap scheme when he decides to repay his debts — by kidnapping his own father.
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✦ AI-generated review
The Comedy of Errors in a Changing Kingdom
If cinema is a mirror held up to society, then *The Fakenapping* (2025) suggests the reflection is currently cracking a smile. In a region often characterized by heavy dramas or historical epics, director Amine Lakhnech’s latest film arrives not as a lecture, but as a chaotic, high-energy exhale. This isn’t a film about the "old ways" versus the "new ways" in the traditional sense; it is a madcap snapshot of the desperate, messy middle ground where bills are due, pride is fragile, and the only way out is a plan so bad it just might work.
Lakhnech, a Tunisian filmmaker known for darker, more experimental shorts like *True Story*, shifts gears here with a visual language that is bright, brisk, and suffocatingly modern. The Riyadh he captures is not one of sweeping sand dunes, but of fluorescent-lit offices, cramped car interiors, and the relentless pressure of urban survival. The camera moves with the frantic energy of its protagonist, Sattam (Mohammed Aldokhei), trapping him in tight frames that emphasize his entrapment by debt and social expectation. The editing is sharp, almost rhythmic, mirroring the ticking clock of the loan shark’s deadline, yet Lakhnech knows when to hold a shot to let the absurdity of a situation—like a kidnapper awkwardly asking his victim for validation—marinate.
At the heart of this farce is a performance by Mohammed Aldokhei that anchors the film’s absurdity in genuine pathos. Sattam is a "failed entrepreneur," a label that carries a specific sting in an era of hyper-ambition. He is not a criminal mastermind; he is a drowning father trying to keep his head above water for his daughter. Aldokhei plays him with a "ragged charm," balancing the manic energy of a man on the edge with the weary resignation of a son who still seeks his father’s approval, even while zip-tying his hands. The chemistry with the ensemble cast, particularly the bumbling accomplices, creates a texture of ineptitude that is painfully funny because it feels so human.
The film’s central conceit—kidnapping one’s own father—is a transgressive joke that Lakhnech plays for surprisingly tender laughs. The father, played with grumpy brilliance by Abdulaziz Al Sokayreen, becomes an unwitting participant in his son's incompetence. The "hostage" scenes are the film’s strongest, stripping away the thriller tropes to reveal a dysfunction that is purely familial. When the kidnappers, terrified of their own captive, end up seeking his advice on their haircuts or ensuring he has a prayer mat facing the Qibla, the film exposes the deep-seated respect for authority that even a life of crime can't quite shake. It’s a satirical bite at how tradition persists even in the most ridiculous circumstances.
Ultimately, *The Fakenapping* is a small film with a large spirit. It may stumble in its third act, struggling to tie up its emotional loose ends with the same precision as its comedic setups, but its verdict on modern life rings true. It portrays a world where financial precarity makes clowns of us all, and where the most dangerous thing isn't a loan shark, but the bruising ego of a son trying to prove his worth. In the growing landscape of Saudi cinema, Lakhnech has delivered a work that proves the industry is ready to laugh at itself—a vital sign of artistic maturity.
If cinema is a mirror held up to society, then *The Fakenapping* (2025) suggests the reflection is currently cracking a smile. In a region often characterized by heavy dramas or historical epics, director Amine Lakhnech’s latest film arrives not as a lecture, but as a chaotic, high-energy exhale. This isn’t a film about the "old ways" versus the "new ways" in the traditional sense; it is a madcap snapshot of the desperate, messy middle ground where bills are due, pride is fragile, and the only way out is a plan so bad it just might work.
Lakhnech, a Tunisian filmmaker known for darker, more experimental shorts like *True Story*, shifts gears here with a visual language that is bright, brisk, and suffocatingly modern. The Riyadh he captures is not one of sweeping sand dunes, but of fluorescent-lit offices, cramped car interiors, and the relentless pressure of urban survival. The camera moves with the frantic energy of its protagonist, Sattam (Mohammed Aldokhei), trapping him in tight frames that emphasize his entrapment by debt and social expectation. The editing is sharp, almost rhythmic, mirroring the ticking clock of the loan shark’s deadline, yet Lakhnech knows when to hold a shot to let the absurdity of a situation—like a kidnapper awkwardly asking his victim for validation—marinate.
At the heart of this farce is a performance by Mohammed Aldokhei that anchors the film’s absurdity in genuine pathos. Sattam is a "failed entrepreneur," a label that carries a specific sting in an era of hyper-ambition. He is not a criminal mastermind; he is a drowning father trying to keep his head above water for his daughter. Aldokhei plays him with a "ragged charm," balancing the manic energy of a man on the edge with the weary resignation of a son who still seeks his father’s approval, even while zip-tying his hands. The chemistry with the ensemble cast, particularly the bumbling accomplices, creates a texture of ineptitude that is painfully funny because it feels so human.
The film’s central conceit—kidnapping one’s own father—is a transgressive joke that Lakhnech plays for surprisingly tender laughs. The father, played with grumpy brilliance by Abdulaziz Al Sokayreen, becomes an unwitting participant in his son's incompetence. The "hostage" scenes are the film’s strongest, stripping away the thriller tropes to reveal a dysfunction that is purely familial. When the kidnappers, terrified of their own captive, end up seeking his advice on their haircuts or ensuring he has a prayer mat facing the Qibla, the film exposes the deep-seated respect for authority that even a life of crime can't quite shake. It’s a satirical bite at how tradition persists even in the most ridiculous circumstances.
Ultimately, *The Fakenapping* is a small film with a large spirit. It may stumble in its third act, struggling to tie up its emotional loose ends with the same precision as its comedic setups, but its verdict on modern life rings true. It portrays a world where financial precarity makes clowns of us all, and where the most dangerous thing isn't a loan shark, but the bruising ego of a son trying to prove his worth. In the growing landscape of Saudi cinema, Lakhnech has delivered a work that proves the industry is ready to laugh at itself—a vital sign of artistic maturity.