Film Review: EVERYTHING WILL BE ALL RIGHT: Short Film Documents A Post Pandemic World and a Big Decision [SXSW 2022]

Everything Will Be All Right Review

Everything Will Be All Right (2022) Film Review from the 29th Annual South by Southwest Film Festival, a short movie written and directed by Farhad Pakdel and starring Nahema Ricci, Abdelghafour Elaaziz, Eloise Tanguay Simard and Dina Renon.

A new short Canadian film, Everything Will Be All Right, documents a woman’s hard decision regarding whether or not to go back home to the Middle East to see her dying father during the height of the pandemic. Written and directed by Farhad Pakdel, the brief picture stands as a powerful reminder of the importance of family but also sneaks under the viewer’s skin by suggesting that the lead character’s choice may not be the right decision at the right time for her, personally speaking.

Nahema Ricci is absolutely mesmerizing in the lead role in this brief movie. She portrays a drama teacher in Montreal named Leila who is engaging her class in the beginning stages of the picture. As class ends, it is learned that, due to the pandemic, a lock down may begin. Traveling out of the country is getting harder because of the situation that is going on in the world. So, it comes as bad timing that Leila’s dad has fallen ill. Her family urges her to come home but Leila has a secret that will make her returning home a sacrifice she may not be able to make.

Everything Will Be All Right commands the viewer’s attention right from the get go. Having lived through the pandemic, the audience will certainly relate to key elements of the story. This film gets even more complex as Leila gets in touch with a doctor’s office to reschedule an appointment of hers so she can travel to her gravely sick father. However, this will not be easy considering the way the world is quickly changing and rules are being implemented regarding certain aspects of the situation at hand.

Ricci dominates the movie with a compelling performance full of intensity. Her character has a secret which is eventually unveiled to the viewer towards the end. All throughout this film, we follow her and respect her and wonder as key details are revealed, what is actually the best decision for her.

Abdelghafour Elaaziz as a cab driver is also noteworthy for his performance even though his major purpose in the film is his line delivery right at the end. That line he delivers gives the viewer hope that Leila will overcome the obstacles she is facing in her life and make her decision one that will hopefully lead to what is best for her as well as for her family.

The most haunting aspect of Everything Will Be All Right is the suggestion that Leila could be making the wrong decision by going to her family at this present time. While family is certainly of the upmost importance, what about a person’s own individual dilemmas which don’t seem to have time to allow certain life events to interfere with those urgent matters at hand? This film explores individuality and a person’s needs versus the bigger picture which involves family and life events. It certainly is a moving story.

While Everything Will Be All Right captivates viewers, it feels a bit open ended and lets the audience make its own decision as to what will happen after the end credits come up. That may very well be the purpose but if a definitive decision was actually made by Leila then the picture could have been perfect. I feel the movie leaves a lot up to viewer interpretation as to what she will decide to do.

Still, Everything Will Be All Right is a chance for Nahema Ricci to shine bright as an actress. She delivers a star-making turn here in a thought-provoking little film that is both timely and necessary.

Rating: 7.5/10

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