Saudi cinema’s blockbuster year still leaves room for improvement

The films that studios had wanted to showcase at festivals struggled to connect with audiences, who simply didn't buy into the story or the characters.

Films either felt immature or over-complicated, as if trying to be too intellectual.

Acting performances

Thankfully, Saudi cinema seems to be finding a new way, helped in part by young talent and actors from the near-extinct theatre scene who move into movies and help lift the quality of performances on screen.

Several have shone in these new roles. Mohammed Aldokhei was splendid in Night Courier which helped it impress critics and keep audiences spellbound.

Adawa Bader stood out in Naga with a telling depiction of her character in Meshal Al-Jasser's cinematic soiree.

Likewise, Asem Alawad earned viewers' sympathy in Raven Song through a serene performance of resilience in the face of life's challenges. Not all acting performances met the desired standard, however.

Some popular actors simply played the same character they have before, while veteran actors failed to deliver authentic performances. Instead of elevating the script's shortcomings, they accentuated them.

Crowded narrative

A common shortcoming of Saudi cinema has been the tendency to try to squeeze in several key themes then do a disservice to all, rather than focus on one and do it right.

As a result, filmmakers often struggle to maintain narrative cohesion. Audiences soon get confused as the storyline jumps between plots and irrelevant characters are introduced.

While the ambition of commendable, as is the filmmaker's commitment, the film inevitably falters in the rush to deliver all the messages. Whatever initial clarity of vision there was often dissipates.

This comes down to the script writing, editing, and reviewing. Editorial oversight sometimes appears to be lacking. Whereas all superfluous scenes, characters, and plots would normally be stripped out in this process, here they are not.

In Night Courier, for instance, the sub-plot involving alcohol trafficking is introduced too late into the film's runtime, which impacts on character and plot development.

In Raven Song, the tendency to delve into surreal and theatrical scenes do not propel the film forward. Rather, they slow the pace and consume excessive time.

Naga, in particular, struggled in this regard. Despite a captivating start and stunning cinematography, the film grappled with narrative confusion, before eventually finding stability. On the silver screen, less can be more.

A bright future

Yet while these are areas for improvement, Saudi cinema is rapidly evolving. Every year seems to herald big advances, not least in terms of production capabilities.

There is no shortage of platforms for showcasing these Saudi cinematic experiments.

If filmmakers can learn to hone the theme, the story, and the characters, there will be yet another giant leap forward.

The rush to cram everything in can be interpreted as a fear that the freedom they have been given in filmmaking will not last long.

It is as if the collective Saudi creative space thinks that the current cultural and financial openness towards cinema will not endure.

Such a change appears unlikely, but if they are to rush, let them rush to tell a simple story brilliantly, rather than a complex story cinematically.

The latter may look good, but it will not linger. The best stories stay with the audience long after they leave.