The changing face of Saudi Arabia provides the setting for Ali Kalthami’s debut feature. Mandoob (Night Courier in English) is a thriller about Fahad (Mohammad Aldokhei), a man working in Riyadh who is struggling to make ends meet with an ailing father to support. Things get worse when he dramatically loses his job at a call centre, forcing him to work full time as a delivery app driver (the titular Mandoob). When even that isn’t enough, he risks his safety by dipping into the world of bootlegging, unearthing a side of life and his city he wasn’t prepared for.
There’s an interesting discussion at play about the evolution of Riyadh, the centre of a country undergoing a public facelift as an entertainment destination. Its global reputation as a shining metropolis full of wealth hides a service industry that feels anonymous and mistreated, something that the audience sees through Fahad’s eyes.
While definitely inspired by the likes of Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and the work of Nicholas Winding Refn, it works better as a comedic portrait than a chilly thriller. Fahad is an ordinary man with delusions of grandeur, and it’s entertaining to see him leap into the deep end with little idea of what consequences might come. Sitting somewhere between Walter Mitty and Travis Bickle, star Aldokhei’s charisma (or lack thereof) wins your support against all better judgement.
While imperfect, Mandoob is a captivating glimpse of what may be to come from Saudi Arabia, a film industry still playing catch up after the government banned cinemas from 1983-2018. Fahad’s story may well be the first of many from a new player in world cinema, helping international audiences see a different side from the tourist-friendly sales pitches.
