Like all genres, coming-of-age stories have their own set of tropes. Characters attempting to find a date for prom, trying to get into college, and throwing a massive rager when their parents aren't home, for example, are all staples of the genre. Nadia Fall’s debut film, Brides, certainly treads some familiar teen movie territory — particularly that of the road trip variety — which makes it all the more haunting, because it's ultimately a coming-of-age tale like you've never seen before.

What is ‘Brides’ About?

Screen Shot 2025-01-16 at 11.58.50 AM
Image via Neon Films 

Brides revolves around two teen girls: tough and guarded Muna (Safiyya Ingar) and naive and sensitive Doe (Ebada Hassan). Though their personalities couldn’t be more different, they connect over the struggles of being Muslim in the UK and the severe bullying they endure from their classmates. To make matters worse, Muna finds very little support at home, and while Doe’s mother, Khadija (Yusra Warsama), is loving, Khadija’s boyfriend, Jon (Leo Bill), is abusive, which causes a wedge between them.

Fed up with their poor treatment and on the urging of social media videos that promise them a better life, Muna and Doe decide to go to Syria to become child ISIS brides. Muna isn’t a particularly devout Muslim, instead looking for a sense of belonging and acceptance by any means necessary. Doe, on the other hand, seems more about the cause, constantly scrolling the news on her phone and connecting with her crush, Samir (Ali Khan), over the prejudice they face. Samir has already made the trek to Syria out of what he perceives as a sense of duty, and we get the sense Doe may have an ulterior motive of wanting to go find him. While Muna has no trouble making a clean break from her old life, Doe struggles more, tempted to call her frantic mother back and text Samir — something that creates friction with Muna. The two’s unlikely friendship is put to the test on their dangerous journey — one with an even more dangerous destination.

‘Brides’ Features Two Phenomenal, Star-Making Performances

Safiyya Ingar and Ebada Hassan in Brides
Image via Sundance

Brides’ success hinges on the performance of its two leads, and luckily, Ingar and Hassan are both excellent. The two have an easy chemistry that makes this movie a frequently fun watch — something that may be odd to hear considering its dark subject matter. Suhayla El-Bushra’s script and Fall’s direction smartly infuse this film with much-needed humor, and whether Muna and Doe are playing laser tag or spritzing perfume at a make-up store, there’s a sense of innocence and play that serves to underline the impending tragedy rather than detract from it. The fact that Muna and Doe’s trip feels exciting due to a combination of Fall’s lively direction, Clarissa Cappellani’s vibrant cinematography, and Alex Baranowski’s energetic music has a similar effect.

Shaheen Baig’s casting should also be noted, as not only do Ingar and Hassan play off each other well, but they also give phenomenal performances on their own. Add in the fact that Ingar was a last-minute inclusion due to the previous actress having to drop out and that this is Hassan’s first credit ever, and you’ll find that the caliber of acting in this movie is a truly impressive feat on everyone’s part. The confident, commanding way in which Ingar plays Muna acts as a crucial catalyst, whereas Hassan’s quiet expressiveness is a grounding force for the ambitious subject matter. Though their performances are as different as the characters they embody, they infuse both of them with incredible depth and vulnerability, effectively humanizing people whom the media has demonized as one-dimensional terrorists.

Related
'Last Days' Review: Justin Lin's Break from Fast & Furious Is an Underwhelming Drama Mired in Religious Zealotry | Sundance 2025

The 'Tokyo Drift' director returns to the festival for his dramatization of the life of John Chau.

The supporting characters fare slightly less well in terms of the layers they’re allowed. The school bullies are just that, with their only lines being vicious taunts, and the people Muna and Doe meet on their journey are so earnestly caring it veers towards unrealistic — or at least highly unlikely. Still, with some suspension of disbelief, the scenes where they encounter a bus station clerk who lets them spend the night at her home or a widowed father who allows them to tag along with him and his small children highlight the beauty of community and the impact a kind stranger can have. They give us hope that perhaps Muna and Doe’s bleak ending isn’t inevitable after all — that there’s still hope they’ll make a different choice in the end.

The Structure of ‘Brides’ Hurts Its Impact

Sundance Film Festival 2025 logo
Image Via Sundance Film Festival

The throughline of Brides consists of Muna and Doe’s road trip to Syria, though it does include flashbacks — a lot of flashbacks — which is the main issue with the film. We cut away from the main plotline so often and jarringly that we’re never able to get into a groove, which makes the pacing choppy and the narrative far more confusing than necessary. Many of the flashbacks are split into smaller parts and sprinkled throughout the film instead of playing all the way through, making for a disjointed watch. The flashbacks do have merit, particularly in terms of fleshing out Doe’s character and history, but the fact Muna doesn’t get the same treatment is baffling. In every way other than this, Brides is a two-hander, though the uneven amounts of background we get on the two girls makes Doe feel like the main character, thus giving Ingar less to work with and making Muna come across as less developed.

The one exception is the film’s final scene, where we revisit the moment Muna and Doe became friends in what is essentially the beginning of the end. Not only does it allow Muna to take center stage and shine, but it’s a highly effective and downright chilling way to conclude what we just saw — or rather heard — happen to the girls. Fall’s decision to use sounds instead of visuals to reveal the girls’ fate is both a horrifying and respectful one. After all, our minds can fill in the blanks without the gory details being exploited. The themes of racism and Islamophobia — part of what drove them to this choice — are tackled effectively, though the exploration of online radicalization falls a bit short. It’s an integral aspect of the story but one that ends up a bit underbaked due to its subtlety.

Brides is an original and bold coming-of-age story that features two star-making performances from its young talent. Though the editing and structural choices weaken its overall impact and the theme of online radicalization isn’t explored in as much detail as one might like, Brides is still an impactful — and, at times, even oddly enjoyable — watch. I look forward to seeing what Ingar, Hassan, and Fall get up to next, as their ability to juggle authentic comedic moments and extremely dark drama makes me think they’re capable of just about anything.

brides-2025-film-poster.jpg

Your Rating

Brides

Brides is an original and bold coming-of-age story that is strengthened by its two leads and weakened by its awkward structural choices.

Release Date
January 24, 2025
Runtime
93 Minutes
Director
Nadia Fall
Writers
Suhayla El-Bushra
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Ebada Hassan
    Doe
  • Cast Placeholder Image
    Safiyya Ingar
    Muna

Pros & Cons
  • Safiyya Ingar and Ebada Hassan infuse each of their characters with depth and have wonderful chemistry with one another that sells their friendship.
  • Director Nadia Fall balances this film?s tricky tone well, effectively selling it as a coming-of-age story without ever letting us forget the danger lurking around the corner.
  • Fall?s decision not to veer into graphic territory is respectful and makes the ending hit even harder.
  • The film?s excessive flashbacks make for a confusing and disjointed watch.
  • The lack of background on Muna makes the co-leads feel unbalanced.
  • The film doesn?t delve into the epidemic of online radicalization deeply enough.