Nadia, a young mother married to a jealous man, goes to Huda's salon in Bethlehem, for a haircut and an attentive ear. But this ordinary visit turns sour when Huda, after having put Nadia in a shameful situation, blackmails her to have her work for the secret service. As Nadia escapes the salon, that same night, Huda is arrested by Hasan. They find nameless pictures of all the women Huda recruited, including Nadia's. Huda knows that she will be executed the moment she gives u... (Full plot summary below)
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Nadia, a young mother married to a jealous man, goes to Huda's salon in Bethlehem, for a haircut and an attentive ear. But this ordinary visit turns sour when Huda, after having put Nadia in a shameful situation, blackmails her to have her work for the secret service. As Nadia escapes the salon, that same night, Huda is arrested by Hasan. They find nameless pictures of all the women Huda recruited, including Nadia's. Huda knows that she will be executed the moment she gives up the names. She tries to bide herself as much time as possible.
Leave your thoughts about Huda's Salon.
| The PlaylistCarlos AguilarStrikingly bold in its dramatic construction, and adept at folding the macro issues into the lives of everyday residents of a tumultuous area of the world, “Huda’s Salon” is contained inside an expertly paced plot that seems ready to combust at any second. |
| RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyHuda's Salon does not stop for one second to take a breath, and the subjects revealed have enormous and urgent philosophical reverb. |
| The Film StageDan MeccaHuda’s Salon recalls Hollywood mysteries from the 1940s in both its brisk pace and disarmingly simple style, resulting in a sparse, intelligent thriller. |
| The New YorkerAnthony LaneIt goes without saying that, like most of Abu-Assad’s films, especially Paradise Now(2005) and Omar(2014), Huda’s Salon is rubbed raw by the politics of the occupied territories; but somehow it doesn’t feel like an issue movie. When Huda is onscreen, played with sublime command by Awad, the story becomes unremittingly about her. |
| Slant MagazineWes GreeneFormally, Huda’s Salon is nothing if not effective, sustaining the unrelenting tension of its opening scene for the duration of its runtime. |
| Original-CinLiam LaceyThe complicated part of Huda’s Salon, and the riskiest in terms of holding the audience, is that this is actually the story of two women: Not just Reem, but that of the salon keeper, Huda. |
| New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriAbu-Assad has made his share of films about the cruel absurdity of life under Israeli occupation, but here he lets all sides have it |
| TheWrapElizabeth WeitzmanThe story is based on real events, which should make it even more gripping, but Abu-Assad and cinematographers Ehab Assal and Peter Flinckenberg draw the rope so tightly around the leads that the suffocating atmosphere reads almost like a filmed play. Fortunately, Abu-Assad does have two excellent collaborators in Awad and Elhadi. |
| Los Angeles TimesJustin ChangWorking with cinematographers Ehab Assal and Peter Flinckenberg, Abu-Assad continually boxes his female leads into tight corners, visually and dramatically. Nearly every scene takes the form of a single unbroken shot, a technique that sometimes pulls you in and sometimes merely calls attention to its own virtuosity. |
| Screen DailyWendy IdeA brisk and efficient thriller ... This combination of moral quandary and ticking clock peril makes for a bracing, if occasionally didactic, political drama. |
