🎭 Reality or Illusion? 🎭
Fractal, now streaming on Cpics.tv , is not just a film—it’s an experience. A psychological and theatrical labyrinth that forces its audience to question the very nature of authority, art, and manipulation. With each scene, the tension escalates, leaving us with more questions than answers.
At the heart of the film is a young underground theater group, Silence, preparing for their final performance. The team, once governed by collective decision-making, has placed its trust in Amirhossein, their newly elected coordinator. But trust is a fragile thing, especially when placed in the wrong hands. Amirhossein has promised a surprise for the last night of rehearsals, a twist that will define their final performance. But as Maya, the group’s skeptic, digs deeper, she unearths something far darker than she could have imagined.
What begins as a rehearsal quickly spirals into a surreal nightmare. Maya notices a light in the basement—an area that was never a point of interest before. As she investigates, fragments of Amirhossein’s true intentions start to surface. What exactly is being planned? What role does Eddy, his assistant, play in this scheme? And why does the arrival of their producer, Kaveh, send Amirhossein into a state of urgency?
The so-called ‘surprise’ finally comes to light: the entire cast—except Amirhossein and Eddy—is to be transformed into immobile sculptures on stage. The absurdity of the revelation sends shockwaves through the group. Some resist, some negotiate their way into more prominent roles, and others, like Sabah, sense something amiss but choose self-preservation over confrontation. As chaos brews within the troupe, violence seeps into the performance itself, blurring the lines between art and cruelty. Sammy, once a mere actor, becomes the subject of real torment when the group begins stoning him in a brutal act of ‘performance.’
Maya, our voice of reason, attempts to expose Amirhossein’s motives, but she is swiftly silenced—quite literally—shoved to the ground and cast out. The once-collaborative theater group is now a dictatorship. Even Eddy, Amirhossein’s right-hand man, is betrayed, forced to take on the role intended for Maya—trapped in an aquarium like a caged spectacle. Meanwhile, those still inside, blind to the manipulation, are desperate to complete their masterpiece, unaware of the sinister machinations at play.
Then, just as the deception reaches its peak, fate intervenes. The roof collapses, leaving the performance forever unfinished, mirroring the shattered illusions of its players.
With striking performances from Emad Darvishi, Taymaz Golshan, and Mahsa Khodadadi, Fractal is a mind-bending descent into the darkness of control and ambition. Director Rezvan Pakpour crafts a film that is both visually and thematically intense, forcing us to question the nature of leadership, blind obedience, and artistic integrity.
Will you step into the mystery? Or will you, like Maya, question the shadows before they consume you?