Along City

A tension building thriller at every turn, Dar Emtedad Shahr opens with the begins of a jewellery store robbery, and then goes back in time to explore the events leading up to it. In doing so, the major players are introduced: the pair of robbers themselves, the jewellery store owner, his ill wife and doctor mistress and a disenfranchised celebrity. When the robbery goes wrong and the jewellery store owner is shot, all stories begin to collide as a hostage situation escalates. Who exactly will survive? And what will be left of those who do?

Directed by Ali Atshani, Along City leans on a strong ensemble — Mohammad Reza Golzar, Anahita Ne'mati, Niki Karimi — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about crime titles of 2012.