Reza and his father intend to murder his sister Soheyla and her lover Mohsen, because that is what “honor” demands. In contrast, Mohsen has considerably more money than honor. Although he claims he never knew Soheyla was pregnant, he assures her father, the baby must have been conceived while they had a “temporary marriage,” an ironic phenomenon of contemporary Iranian society (that was explored with compassion and insight in Ida Panahandeh’s Nahid). Technically, the baby will be legitimate and Soheyla can secretly deliver in Mohsen’s luxury villa, so nobody will know she was pregnant. Plus, he promises to pay her father handsomely custody of the child.
Suddenly, the script flips, but Soheyla still has no say in the matter. Instead, the men cut a deal to decide her fate and the fate of her unborn child, for their benefit. Resenting the condescension and misogynistic treatment, Soheyla takes matters into their own hands—literally.
Rahimpour and the producers could very well understand colloquial Western meanings of the term “Plan B,” because, as a title, it adds extra bite to the film. The film viscerally criticizes the sexism and class iniquities of Iranian society. Despite some shocking gore, it would be a stretch to call it horror, but it is understandable why the festival shoehorned it into the program.
This is one bracing film. Running over twenty-five minutes, it is a fully developed drama that packs more shock value than most full-length VOD horror features. Highly recommended, Plan B is available through August 11, as part of Tales that Go Bump in the Night, at this year’s AAIFF.
