Saudi film "Sattar" premieres on Netflix amid great fanfare

These pioneering efforts paved the way for features like "Sattar" to make an impact at the box office. The movie signals a new era of receptiveness to creative Saudi works, particularly in the film industry.

Clever choices

"Sattar" has been a hit on several fronts, due to smart decision-making by the team behind it. First, they chose to make a comedy, which is a highly marketable genre in the region.

Secondly, they went for a family-friendly affair, which appealed to several segments of Saudi society.

And lastly, the movie's catchy soundtracked helped "Sattar" live on through social media engagement, long after the credits rolled.

The movie centres around a down-on-his-luck protagonist who is unhappy in both his professional and personal life. But, as with any great story, his greatest failure becomes a catalyst for his greatest success. Meeting wrestling manager Ali Hogan is the ultimate turning point in his life.

"Sattar" achieved record-breaking box office sales in the first ten days of its release – a historic milestone in Saudi cinema. And it's all because it managed to seamlessly tell a story that feels familiar to Saudi audiences. Whether through a realistic backdrop, or its overall warm setting, the film succeeded in not alienating its target audience.

If the numbers aren't enough, then the proof is in the social media buzz that followed the film's release.

Critics divided

But widespread popularity doesn't necessarily translate to unanimous acclaim. Critics have been split in their opinions of "Sattar", and whether or not it offers something new to the genre.

Saudi critic Dr. Abdullah Al-Oqaibi tells Al Majalla that there's a big difference between "situational comedy for the sake of laughter" and "prevailing comic patterns."

"The film capitalised on a stereotypical image previously portrayed by the cast in YouTube videos (Abdulaziz Alshehri, Ibrahim Alkhairallah) and in Ramadan TV series (Ibrahim Al Hajjaj).

"'Sattar' missed several opportunities by overly relying on these cookie-cutter patterns, leaving the movie with nothing more than formulas that were previously established on other platforms."

On the other hand, Saudi film critic Ahoud Hajazi believes that the movie "succeeded in presenting itself as a comedic masterpiece."

"We begin with its poster, which ingeniously conveys the movie's central themes, and move onto its ability to get laughs and cheers from the audience," he says.

"The film achieved what it ostensibly set out to achieve – it delivered a comedy full of subtle social intricacies that resonate with the Saudi identity, thus offering a refreshing twist within the comedy genre itself.

"In essence, it demonstrates the power of embracing local culture in crafting comedy."

Commercial or artistic?

On the topic of whether "Sattar" achieved success based on commercial or artistic merits, Al-Oqaibi views it as quite straightforward.

He attributes the film's success to two factors: its age rating, which allowed families to attend with their children, naturally boosting ticket sales, and the pre-existing popularity of its cast.

Both of these things, however, can exist independently of artistic appeal.

He adds that the movie's technical quality played a significant role in "Sattar" being a hit amongst a young demographic.

As for what the film added to Saudi cinema, Al-Oqaibi says, "Everyone understands the current state of Saudi cinema; it's promising and ready to experiment with any product, regardless of its quality, as a market test.

"This explains the variation in the projects being showcased. It's a somewhat perplexing moment, as no one can predict the exact artistic direction it will take, which is natural given the historical context.

"However, considering that the film 'Alhamour H.A.' was released simultaneously with 'Sattar,' and was a truly outstanding movie, I believe 'Sattar' didn't make a significant artistic contribution to Saudi cinema.

"In my opinion, true artistic contributions must come from a creative perspective, and in this regard, the movie didn't offer much."

This dichotomy highlights an ongoing discussion regarding Saudi cinema, where success doesn't always equal artistic innovation. (Though it can be said that that's true of any film industry, where "popcorn flicks" can rake in millions at the box office, and make audiences happy, without any artistic merit to lean on.)

However, Hajazi disagrees.

"In general, 'Sattar' delivered a well-rounded artistic cinematic work, regardless of some criticisms. Reaching such high numbers at the box office from various age groups makes the success genuine.

"'Sattar' as a full-length comedy opened the door to presenting quality and focused movies. It managed to offer a vision of what it takes to attract an audience eager to explore the new and support local creativity."

Regarding the role that personal YouTube channels can play in nurturing the film industry, Al-Oqaibi says that many content creators likely look back at the period "before the emergence of commercial Saudi cinema" with nostalgia.

"A lot of them have left YouTube and transitioned into producing commercial films. While it's true that YouTube paved the way for them, they have completely moved away from it today. YouTube remains a vast space for video game creators (and gamers), but its role as a feeder for cinema is no longer realistic."

Hajazi, on the other hand, says that "the promotional power that has been transferred into the hands of social media makes it both a practical and artistic launchpad."

"It has the profound duty of championing Saudi cinema, which opens a portal into our multifaceted society, with its rich culture and blossoming ideas. These platforms, much like canvases for free expression (and the nurturing of growing talents in the digital space), are integral to Saudi cinema, offering it both expertise and enthusiasm."

The next phase of Saudi cinema

When Al-Oqaibi thinks about how filmmaking is developing in Saudi Arabia, he says, "Cinematic expression is like a complicated tapestry, made not just with financial threads and a nurturing environment, but also with smart thinking. It takes time for this tapestry to fully unfurl.

"The challenge is that audiences in Saudi Arabia are excited and can't wait to see Saudi films all the time, which can create a disconnect. Amid this disconnect, understanding what filmmaking is all about becomes its own kind of complicated art.

"This is all part of the process. The time for artistic refinement is coming, and it will illuminate the difference between cinematic expression and cinematic consumption."

However, Hajazi argues that, at this early juncture in Saudi's cinematic journey, nuance is required in order to pinpoint the crux of the issue. Time will offer a clearer perspective.

"However, it's clear that we've gone past the transitional phase, now boasting a portfolio of Saudi cinematic projects. As things continue to evolve, the main priority in the next phase will be to refine and improve, especially when we're working within a proven framework."