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A face of a exile functions as the mysterious centerpiece to this slow-burning drama-thriller, the first fictional film of Francophone director Jonathan Millet. It is unyielding, blank, reserved, yet showing an indescribable agony, a buried, unresolved psychological wound, complicated by what is obviously a new calculated wariness.

The Journey for Closure

Hamid is brought to life by Adam Bessa, a former literature professor from Aleppo who is now in a European urban center in the mid-2010s, having endured brutality in the infamous incarceration center, and the death of his loved ones.

The character approaches displaced compatriots if they are acquainted with a specific individual, presenting a unclear photograph, stating that this is his family member. Truthfully, it is a man who tortured him and Hamid is a part of a network focused on tracking down perpetrators of violence throughout Europe.

Plagued by the Previous Events

Plagued, fatigued and miserable, Hamid’s only real relationship is with his aging parent in a temporary housing area, with whom he has regular Zoom calls; this a emotional acting from Shafiqa El Till.

Finally, Hamid spots a Syrian chemistry student on a academic institution called Harfaz (Tawfeek Barhom) and, because of what he his scent, becomes paranoically certain that this is the man. Could he be just another blameless displaced person trying to rebuild his life?

Uncertainty and Moral Dilemma

Harfaz genially invites Hamid to share a meal for lunch and there is an lengthy, intriguingly ambiguous conversational exchange, in which soft-spoken Harfaz gives the impression of probing his views about the Assad regime, or warning him to just forget about it all and progress, the way he has done.

Could Harfaz be his target – or his ideal? Hamid must resolve that, and then determine if he is going to take justice into his own hands.

Narrative Connections

In some ways, this is reminiscent of Ariel Dorfman’s play a well-known drama, brought to the screen by Roman Polanski, or the mid-20th century world of escaping responsibility in a notable thriller and a related film. The movie travels confidently across various regions and illustrates a multifaceted world of pain.

The Phantom Path is in movie houses from mid-September.