Legendary Iranian film maker Jafar Panahi was recently sentenced to 6 years in prison for being critical of the government. Hit the Road is the directorial debut of his son Panah. Whilst it has interesting moments, on this evidence, Panah does not share his father’s talent.
The story concerns a family taking a road trips through dusty Iranian terrain, seemingly fearful that the authorities will track them. As the journey progresses, it becomes clear that the older son (Amin Simiar) is a wanted man and the plan is to meet someone who can smuggle him out of the country.
This is an intriguing set-up and the bleak vistas are beautifully shot by Panahi and Amin Jafari. I also enjoyed the performances of Pantea Panahiha and Hasan Majuni as the parents. However, there are some major problems. The snail like pace is a patience tester and some of the dialogue is annoyingly oblique (though that could be a translation issue). The youngest son, played by Rayan Sarlak, is incredibly annoying and the device of having a character end a scene by staring into the camera is overused.
Rating: 5.5 out if 10