Running Time: 82 Minutes
Starring: Rose Deghan, Chloë MacLeod, Victoria Wardell, Talisa Mae Stewart, Ashkan Nejati, Maryam Sadeghi
In the opening moments, writer/director Ava Maria Safai effectively establishes the 2004 setting of her feature debut, Foreigner. This is done through a retro looking advert recorded on a video tape, as the grainy advert for blonde hair dye promotes "fitting in" with friends. It is a solid lead-in to the story of Yasamin (Rose Deghan), an Iranian teenager new to Canada who wishes to fit in with her peers.
Her first day at a new high-school catches the attention of a pastel coloured clique, led by the beguiling Rachel (Chloë MacLeod). They take their new classmate under their wing, but their interest worsens Yasamin's desire for acceptance, pushing her to assimilate by changing more aspects about herself. The situation grows crucial upon dyeing her hair blonde, as the act lets in a demonic force.
Offering a teenage story relating to the immigrant experience, Safai utilises the early 2000s setting to highlight a specific era post-9/11 when Islamophobia was on the rise. Central to this is Yasamin's inner struggles, adapting to the new climate by rejecting her heritage little by little. She begins practicing speaking English by repeatedly watching her favourite sitcom, an act borne from a worry that she will not make friends at her new high-school.
That is soon followed by refusing to take lunches made by her grandmother (Maryam Sadeghi), and asking that her father (Ashkan Nejati) drives her to school without playing his favourite Iranian songs. The longer time that is spent in Canada, the larger the gulf becomes between Yasamin and her family, complete with rising tempers. Key to it is Deghan's tremendous performance, capturing the toll enacted as the character loses herself in favour of other's expectation, conveying such building hurt while suffering in silence.
Arriving in the spirit of Heathers and Mean Girls, the pastel-coloured popular girls consists of leader Rachel and the two girls modelled after her. From the first day, they watch Yasamin with unsettling smiles and a look which penetrates the soul, searching for any insecurities to exploit. It is clear that they see the new girl as a plaything, something to amuse them amidst constant apologies about making assumptions, while these apologies thinly mask a condescending tone and insidious racism. With friends like these, who needs enemies?
This all adds to the protagonist's struggles, as she grapples with unresolved grief in an unfamiliar land. Her youth was spent with a mother who promised better things were coming once they arrived in Canada, and the reality of finally being in that place without her is hitting Yasamin hard. It is a film full of allegories, intent on depicting the immigrant experience through a horror lens. Sadly, this is hampered by the horror elements feeling less than effective, relying a bit too much on the repeated use of creepy smiles and jump scares.
As a result, the horror feels undercooked compared to the effective tale about the immigrant experience. A better example is a scene that captures a relatable feeling rooted in fear, as the nightmare shows everybody laughing in mockery over a simple pronunciation mistake. The ending also lingers, as any positive steps forward can still feel overshadowed by linger doubts residing in one's mind. Despite the less effective genre instances, Foreigner is an effective feature debut with a lot on its mind.
Foreigner made its World Premiere at Fantasia Festival 2025
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