The Stoning Of Soraya M. review

A brutal tale of life under Sharia Law for one Iranian woman

Why you can trust 12DOVE Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Based on real-life events that occurred in an Iranian village in the ’80s, this recounts the appalling story of a woman (Shohreh Aghdashloo) whose niece Soraya (Mozhan Marnò) is falsely accused of adultery by her divorceseeking husband.

Under Sharia Law the punishment for this offence, decided at an all-male tribunal, is death by public stoning.

American-Iranian writer/ director Cyrus Nowrasteh’s approach is hardly subtle, favouring didactic dialogue and overblown scoring.

That said, a 20-minute stoning sequence possesses the shocking brutality of The Passion Of The Christ