The Ceremony – REVIEW

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In numerous hand car washes, concerns over human trafficking remain unexplored by filmmakers. However, The Ceremony, directed by Jack King, boldly steps into this niche, offering a gripping debut filmed in black and white. Set in a Bradford car wash, the lead character Cristi (Tudor Cucu-Dumitrescu) ensures operations run smoothly under the shady ownership of Zully. The employees are all undocumented immigrants, and they prefer to keep their existence low-key. Tensions rise when a customer accuses one of the washers of stealing his Rolex from the car. Cristi steps in to calm the situation and shield his colleague from suspicion.

However, the situation deteriorates significantly when Cristi forces the employee out of the overcrowded house they share, only to find him dead by suicide in a car wash the next morning. Yusuf (Erdal Yildiz), who arrives shortly after, is compelled to assist Cristi in concealing the body instead of contacting the authorities, potentially putting everyone at risk of being arrested.

What ensues is a journey reminiscent of a road trip, as they travel in a white van carrying an unfortunate load in its rear compartment, seeking a suitable location for disposal. Cristi leans towards discarding it somewhere secluded, preferably amidst the barren, desolate scenery they traverse, while Yusef is insistent on granting the deceased proper Islamic burial rights, which includes a full-fledged burial.

The original film could have offered a gripping, twisty adventure, but instead, it transforms into a thoughtful exploration of the characters’ lives, with their road trip serving as a platform for introspection. Both actors deliver outstanding performances, and the first half of the movie is engaging. However, the latter part becomes somewhat heavy-handed. Despite some questionable plot elements, such as the Rolex device, which seems implausible, the overall debut is commendable. Although it might seem unusual, next time we wash our car, we’ll ensure the glove compartment is filled with Rolexes, Omega watches, gold krugerrands, every Van Gogh painting, and Issue 1 of all Marvel superhero comics – just in case!

Here’s the trailer for The Ceremony…..

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2025-08-21 02:23