A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night 2014

In the sweltering Iranian metropolis of Bad City, where the sun’s fiery gaze lingers just beyond the horizon, a rebellious youngster with a penchant for rockabilly aesthetics picks up an enigmatic feline companion, Masuka the Cat. This is Arash (Arash Marandi), a young man whose eyes burn with a sense of disquietude as he navigates the city’s gritty underbelly. As he makes his way back to his vehicle, he’s confronted by a scrappy young beggar, Milad Eghbali, who wears down Arash’s defenses with his pitiful pleas.

Meanwhile, in a dingy apartment, Arash’s father, Hossein (Marshall Manesh), a disheveled and worn-out individual, is trapped in a cycle of addiction. He’s forced to turn to Saeed (Dominic Rains), the city’s ruthless pusher and pimp, for his fix. The toxic relationship between these two men is a powder keg waiting to be ignited. Hossein’s desperation is palpable as he shoots up on his own toe, a desperate attempt to cope with the crushing weight of his circumstances.

As Arash struggles to come to terms with his father’s predicament, he finds himself face-to-face with Saeed, who’s more interested in flaunting his wealth and influence than offering any solace. The pusher pilfers Arash’s car, leaving him feeling helpless and impotent. His sense of purpose begins to unravel like the threads of a worn-out sweater.

In this midst of chaos, a mysterious young woman named Shayday (Rome Shadanloo) inserts herself into Arash’s life, her presence as fleeting as a whispered secret. Her eyes seem to hold a hint of vulnerability, and yet she exudes an air of confidence that borders on arrogance. As Arash tends to the gardens under her watchful eye, he can’t help but feel a sense of unease, as if the very foundation of his reality is about to be upended.

As the evening wears on, Saeed’s excesses reach new heights as he cruises around the city with Atti (Mozhan Marnò), a prostitute who seems trapped in a cycle of exploitation. Their encounter is marked by a sense of desperation and disconnection, punctuated only by the Girl (Sheila Vand) who passes them by without so much as a glance, her hijab veil a symbol of the boundaries she’s set for herself.

But even the most rigid of boundaries can be breached, and it’s not long before the Girl sheds her veil to reveal a glimpse of the person beneath. Her transformation is nothing short of breathtaking, as if she’s stepped out of a different world altogether. In this moment, we’re reminded that even in the darkest of times, there’s always a glimmer of hope waiting to be uncovered.

As the darkness of night envelops the deserted street, Saeed and the enigmatic Girl cross paths. With a flick of his wrist, Saeed extinguishes his cigarette and begins to converse with her. A subtle nod of his head serves as an invitation, leading her to follow him to his modern apartment. The air is thick with tension as he indulges in cocaine, amplifies the music, and showcases his physique by lifting weights. Meanwhile, the Girl remains mute, her gaze fixed on the flat’s eclectic decorations rather than Saeed’s macho posturing. Her silence is shattered when he attempts to make a move, only to reveal her fangs as she seductively bites off his finger. Saeed’s screams of agony are cut short as the Girl feeds on him, leaving him lifeless.

In a separate strand of fate, Arash pedals away from Saeed’s apartment, eager to trade a pair of earrings for the return of his car. Unbeknownst to him, he leaves a message on Saeed’s answering machine, which will soon be heard by the Girl who has just finished her gruesome feast.

As the sun dips below the horizon, Ashad puffs away on his cigarette outside the building, only to lock eyes with the Girl as she exits. Their silent confrontation is a harbinger of the darkness that lies ahead. The Girl vanishes into the night, leaving Arash to find Saeed’s lifeless body. Amidst the chaos, he seizes the opportunity to retrieve his car keys from the attache case, which also contains cocaine and a gun.

Meanwhile, back at home, Arash’s father bemoans his existence, telling him that he should be dead and gone. Arash tends to his beloved Masuka as he contemplates his own demons. The Princess, a figure of mystery, removes her nose plaster in the midst of a bath, lost in thought.

As the once-pristine landscape is now scarred by oil drilling machines, Arash desecrates Saeed’s body and begins selling the scavenged materials on the streets. A young street boy watches him with an air of wonder. When Arash seeks medical attention, he pays cash to the doctor, while Hossein’s desperation for a fix grows as he paces nervously around his home. Masuka, ever vigilant, keeps watch over him.

As Hossein’s advances are met with indifference by Atti, his attention is drawn to a mysterious Girl who seems to be intentionally mirroring his movements. Despite the initial fascination, Hossein’s apprehension grows as the Girl continues to mimic him, and he ultimately flees in fear. The enigmatic Girl then focuses her attention on a beggar boy, blocking his path before finally allowing him to pass. However, not before she issues a chilling warning: if he’s not a good boy, she’ll be watching him until the day he dies, at which point she’ll exact a gruesome punishment.

Meanwhile, Arash’s attempts to connect with Hossein are thwarted by his father’s selfish demands for medication. Unbeknownst to Hossein, Arash has donned a Dracula costume and infiltrated a disco party, where he encounters Shirin - resplendent in skeleton makeup - and Atti, who request a pill from him. Despite initial hesitation, Arash succumbs to their pressure, only to be rebuffed when he tries to kiss Shirin. As the night wears on, Arash’s mood plummets as he watches Shirin dance with another partygoer, his disappointment and despair palpable.

As the city’s neon hues danced across the darkened streets, The Girl glided effortlessly on her skateboard, leaving a trail of freedom in her wake. Meanwhile, Arash (Homa Rousta) found himself lost in thought, his gaze fixed upon one of the street lamps that seemed to hold secrets within its glassy confines. The Girl’s sudden appearance before him was both jarring and hypnotic, as if she had materialized from the very shadows themselves.

As Arash stumbled through his words, his drugged state rendering him disoriented, The Girl calmly informed him they were in Bad City – a revelation that only served to further confuse our protagonist. His introduction of himself as “Dracula” was met with an air of mystery, as he assured her he meant no harm and departed into the night. The Girl followed him silently, her presence a constant reminder of their shared disorientation.

The scene shifted once more as Arash stopped in his tracks, his hand reaching out to grasp The Girl’s as if seeking solace in the darkness. His questions about her being in Bad City were met with a gentle prodding, leading him to propose a visit to her home – an invitation he ultimately found impossible to accept due to his worsening condition. With a quiet resignation, The Girl took matters into her own hands, guiding Arash onto her skateboard and whisking him away to the relative safety of her abode.

As morning light crept over the horizon, The Girl’s music floated through the air, accompanied by the spinning lights of a disco ball that seemed to hypnotize Arash once more. His movements towards her grew slow and deliberate, leaving little doubt as to the direction their night was taking. With the morning sun casting its rays upon the scene, it was as if the shadows themselves had conspired to bring these two souls together.

In the aftermath of their nocturnal encounter, The Girl’s carefree spirit re-emerged as she twirled and danced with a lone balloon, her laughter carrying on the breeze. Meanwhile, Hossein (Reza Naji) brought some much-needed reality to the situation, his exasperated tone a stark contrast to the ethereal atmosphere that had preceded it. As Arash struggled to come to terms with the mysteries of the night, he confided in Hossein about the enigmatic girl who still remained nameless – a revelation that earned him a well-deserved label as “idiot” from his friend.

As Atti carelessly scratches Arash’s sleek vehicle with a key, she becomes acutely aware of The Girl’s piercing gaze upon her. Realizing their unlikely observer has been tracking her every move, Atti hastily takes her leave. However, The Girl’s fixation only ceases when Atti does, sparking a sense of unease within the former. With trepidation, Atti confronts The Girl, demanding to know why she’s been stalking her. The enigmatic figure responds by flaunting an array of luxurious jewelry and Arash’s pilfered timepiece, pilfered from Saeed’s possession. Seemingly entranced by the valuable trinkets, The Girl wordlessly accompanies Atti back to his humble abode. As they enter the cozy space, The Girl settles onto a plush sofa, her attention drawn to an apple Atti has thoughtfully provided for her - a fruit she proceeds to manipulate with deliberate slowness rather than consuming it. Atti, misinterpreting her actions, assumes that this waif-like figure is destined for a life of desperation, perhaps turning to prostitution as a means of survival. Initially silent, The Girl eventually breaks her silence, revealing Atti’s lack of understanding regarding her occupation. Her words drip with an air of mystery as she asserts her knowledge of Atti’s inner workings, claiming that he has lost his sense of direction and can no longer recall the thrill of truly wanting something. She then accuses him of squirreling away wealth without a clear purpose in mind. Atti presses The Girl for clarification, wondering if she is indeed a thief - to which she responds with a resolute “no”.

That night, as the darkness deepens, The Girl indulges in an anonymous homeless man’s blood, her hunger sated by the offering. Returning home, she finds Arash’s cryptic note stuck to her doorframe, beckoning her to meet him at the power plant the following day at 10:00 AM - his signature, a nod to the legendary creature, “Dracula”. In a subsequent dream sequence, Arash finds himself wandering through an ominous tunnel, illuminated only by the faint light emanating from behind. He pauses, as if halted by some unseen force, his subconscious grappling with the weight of his own desires and intentions.

As The Girl and Arash converge outside the power plant, a subtle tension simmers beneath their casual encounter. Arash’s offering of a hamburger, which The Girl declines, is a gesture that belies his genuine interest in getting to know her. Though she remains elusive, sharing only that yesterday’s melancholic tune was Lionel Richie’s iconic hit, Arash senses there’s more to her story. He makes a discreet observation about her unpierced earrings and produces the very same pair he had pilfered earlier, revealing an intimate understanding of her secrets. The Girl’s initial wariness gives way to a measured response as she accepts the offer and allows Arash to create a hole in her ear with his lighter. A fleeting moment of reflexive fang-reveal hints at a deeper nature lurking beneath her surface, but she regains control, and they share a tender moment before she departs, seemingly weighed down by her own misdeeds.

The next morning, the desolate landscape surrounding Saeed’s lifeless form is interrupted only by a wandering stray dog. The following day, Hossein’s frantic outburst sets the tone for his chaotic morning routine, as he berates the cat and rages against the photographs of Arash’s mother, blaming her for all his woes. His destructive tantrum culminates in a bitter parting with Arash, who has reached his breaking point.

Later, as the faint scent of drugs wafts through the air, Hossein becomes increasingly agitated, fixating on Atti and demanding to inject her. When she resists, he overpowers her, injecting her and himself before succumbing to a fit of sobbing and emotional entanglement with his companion. The crackling sound of a bent spoon sizzling over a small flame provides an eerie accompaniment to this tableau of desperation and vulnerability.

As The Girl descended into despair, her intuition screamed that impending doom loomed large, fueled by Masuka’s unblinking gaze. With a sense of foreboding, she burst through the window and intervened, rescuing Hossein from Atti’s grasp. As The Girl fed on Hossein’s life force, Atti and the cat bore witness to the unsettling scene, yet remained eerily untroubled. Together, they hastily dispatched the body, their trepidation palpable as a dark shape lurked in the shadows outside.

Later, The Girl lit a cigarette and issued a somber directive: take the cat with her. As Ashar Hossein’s lifeless form was revealed to the boy, the latter professed ignorance about any potential witness. Ashar’s guilt-ridden expression hinted at his deepening unease. Arash departed into the night, only to be haunted by another dreamlike sequence in the dark tunnel - this time, the camera closing in on him like a vise. He awoke with a start.

Ashar waited patiently outside The Girl’s door before being granted entry. He implored her to gather her belongings and flee the city with him, begging her not to abandon him. However, she remained stoic, her back turned to him as she prepared to depart. Ashar noticed Masuka lingering in the background, a realization that would forever alter his perception of The Girl. As he stared at her, she busied herself with jewelry and attire, donning her cape like a dark knight.

Together, they embarked into the night, with Masuka riding shotgun beside them. Arash halted the car in an desolate expanse, exiting the vehicle to pace nervously beneath the headlights. After a prolonged silence, he reclaimed his seat. The Girl inserted a cassette tape, and the haunting strains of Arabic music filled the air as they sat in contemplative silence, flanked by the enigmatic cat.

As the melody faded, Ashar put the car back in gear, disappearing into the darkness once more.