The Vile – Movie Review (3/5)

THE VILE is a horror drama with a sinister and slow-burning vibe. It’s supernatural in plot, but the story isn’t too foreign. The movie is still screening at the biggest genre film festivals worldwide, and just won Best Horror Movie at Fantastic Fest. Read our full The Vile movie review here!

THE VILE is a horror movie with elements of drama and psychological thriller, while also featuring a supernatural plot. It reminded me of Under the Shadow in some ways, but this is a very different storyline overall.

The runtime is 97 minutes, and there is no lull or weak act in the story. Having watched this, I can see why it won an award at Fantastic Fest recently. Yes, even if our rating isn’t that high. This movie has a strong story and a very impressive production quality.

Continue reading our The Vile movie review below.

The horror of a cowardly husband

When The Vile opens, we see Amani get blindsided and heartbroken by her own husband, Khalid. He very suddenly brings home a second wife, who will move into their house upon that very first introduction.

Clearly, this is not something Amani is open to, and it appears they had agreed it would never happen. However, Amani could only give Khalid a daughter, and he needs a son.

Amani is forced to accept these new living circumstances, but she will fight to make sure her daughter, Noor, has everything she needs. Very quickly, we see Amani’s sister being very supportive and encouraging Amani to move into her house and leave Khalid.

Fighting for what is yours

Amani does not want to move out and give up on the home she has spent years building. Instead, Amani does her best to assert her role as the family’s matriarch. The new bride, Zahra, is hard to get a read on, so Amani is very unsure of what to do.

One moment, Zahra appears kind and open, but the next, she seems to deliberately make things difficult for Amani. Could it be that something else has moved in alongside Zahra? Something sinister and paranormal?

Noor is scared that her mother is losing her mind, but Amani knows better. Driven fiercely by instinct, Amani goes into research mode to figure out who this new bride really is. The question is: Does it matter when her husband is the one in charge?

Be ready to possibly get annoyed with some of the actions of the characters. Just try to remember that you probably often feel this way when a character is trying to figure out if they’re crazy.

Universal story, international crew

The story told in The Vile may not be familiar to you, but it is still very universal. And really, while this takes place in the Arabic and Muslim world, the concept is very much known from the US as well. I mean, there’s a long-running reality show called Sister Wives.

For me, this story hits hard because the wife (the first wife, I should say) is very honest and direct about her feelings. I loved how she was portrayed as a fierce and protective woman and mother.

In that sense, this reminded me of the amazing Under the Shadow. The actual plots have nothing in common, but those strong and brave mothers are certainly similar.

So, even if this all seems very foreign to you – the concept of a horror movie from the UAE, I mean – the quality of this production is breathtaking.

Also, if you’ve watched the Egyptian Netflix series Paranormal, then you’re already familiar with the work of Majid Al Ansari, as he directed three episodes of the series. A series you should definitely check out, if you still haven’t watched it.

Actually, the entire crew is very international. The cinematographer, Benjamin Kirk Nielsen, is from Denmark, just like me. He’s made movies in many countries already, and with this one, he worked in Abu Dhabi. You may know his work from Watcher (2022).

Watch The Vile when you get the chance

Director of The Vile is Majid Al Ansari, who also wrote the story it’s based on, and co-wrote the screenplay with Johnnie Alward. While this movie is in Arabic, the story is very universal and offers a more nuanced perspective on living in the UAE.

Most importantly, it’s told mainly from the point of view of women. The movie is a co-production between the UAE and the USA, with Image Nation Abu Dhabi, Spooky Pictures, and Breakout Films producing.

The Vile has already won “Best Horror Film” at Fantastic Fest 2025, where I wasn’t able to watch it. Now, I finally got the chance before it’s screening at the Sitges Film Festival in Spain, and next at the London BFI. If it’s screening near you, make sure you check it out.

The Vile is screening at film festivals worldwide.

Details

Director: Majid Al Ansari
Cast: Bdoor Mohammed, Sarah Taibah, Eman Tarik, Jasem AlKharraz, Nora Ali, Saeed AlHarsh, Samira Al Wahaibi