The Aimless Crab: A Critical Review of The "Kherchang" movie by Mostafa Shayesteh

"Kharchang" Movie is Mostafa Shayesteh’s third film as a director and his highest-grossing one, according to CinemaTicket. We previously discussed Shayesteh’s film “Gholhak.” Now, we will be reviewing "Kharchang" Movie.

Plot Summary of "Kharchang" Movie: From Tala to Pari

"Kharchang" Movie tells the story of a young man named Saeed Latif (played by Hamed Ahangi) who marries an older woman named Tala (played by Shaqayeq Farahani) to gain wealth. After many years, Tala decides to divorce and disrupt Saeed’s plans. He then meets another wealthy woman named Pari (played by Goher Kheirandish), and the story continues from there.

Repetition of the Familiar Formula from "Gholhak" in "Kharchang" Movie

As is evident, "Kharchang" Movie once again presents us with a weak storyline. In this film, Mostafa Shayesteh uses the same formula as in "Gholhak," featuring a couple with a significant age gap, seemingly to teach young people a lesson. In "Gholhak," we had a character who married an older woman, and interestingly, that “sugar mommy” character was Goher Kheirandish. The character opposite her, played by Hadi Kazemi, was shown as a lustful and unfaithful person. In "Kharchang" Movie, we don’t have any committed characters either. Just like in his previous film "Gholhak," neither the plot nor the character development provides any warmth or engagement for the audience.

Technical Analysis of "Kharchang" Movie: Dull and TV-like

In terms of execution, "Kharchang" Movie lacks any special set design or defendable blocking. The steady camera shots, neutral angles, and uniform lighting make it feel more like a television production than a cinematic film. There’s no noticeable soundtrack—if there is one, it’s practically nonexistent. The editing is awkward and lacks rhythm, failing to create any sense of tension or pace. Particularly at the end of the film, when Saeed angrily throws his coat to the ground, a second later, we see him running toward a wedding hall with Shirin (played by Hedyeh Bazvand) and Nader (played by Mohammadreza Alimardani). A cut here without any reason—are you joking?

The performances also don’t offer anything extraordinary except for Hamed Ahangi’s energetic portrayal. Goher Kheirandish and Shaqayeq Farahani merely repeat their usual roles without any depth or new challenges.

Box Office Stats: Commercial Success vs. Artistic Failure

To be honest, "Kharchang" Movie surprisingly became the 11th highest-grossing film of 2024, with 43 billion Toman in sales. In contrast, "Gholhak" made only 4 billion Toman and was near the bottom of the box office chart. According to IMDb’s Box Office report, the total production cost of "Kharchang" Movie was 15 billion Toman, meaning the film made a profit of nearly 30 billion Toman for its creators.

So, how did "Kharchang" Movie become so successful?

The daily struggles and the dire economic situation in Iran have led people to seek out superficial and purely comedic films featuring well-known actors to escape the suffocating pressures of life. Along with this unfortunate reality, the presence of a comedian like Hamed Ahangi plays a significant role. He carried most of the film’s comedy, making "Kharchang" Movie bearable for me.

A Word of Truth

My message is to Mr. Shayesteh and filmmakers who create aimless and empty movies like "Kharchang" movie. If you can’t make meaningful films, maybe it’s better to step away from filmmaking altogether. What have the poor people done to deserve paying such high ticket prices—especially in these tough economic times—just to watch nonsense? Don’t you feel any responsibility toward your audience? 43 billion tomans is no small amount. That kind of money could be used for more worthy cultural projects instead of wasting it on a shallow 90-minute attempt to make people laugh.

Conclusion: The Continuation of Shallow Humor

In conclusion, this type of failure is the result of disastrous policies and the harsh conditions in our country. These kinds of films are not worthy of Iranian cinema, though every era must have such films so that the average viewer can distinguish between good and bad films. Just because a film is comedic doesn’t mean it’s worth spending money on. My review of "Kharchang" Movie by Mostafa Shayesteh ends with a score of 2 out of 10.

Shayan Iroomloo Tabrizi