Perfect Strangers, which is the first Arabic film on Netflix and a facsimile of the 2016 Italian original, has raised controversy since its launch on January 20.
The film is about a group of 7 friends who meet for dinner and decide to play a game, where everyone places their mobile phones on the dinner table, provided that all new messages or calls are in full view of everyone.
And soon the game, which was initially fun and interesting, turns into a barrage of scandals and secrets that no one, including the closest friends, knew.
The film sparked a wave of controversy as the makers of the film were subjected to sharp criticism because of homosexuality as Lebanese actor Fouad Yammine played a gay character, but he hides the matter from his friends.
The Arabic remake was criticized for the boldness of the dialogue, which was described by a large number of followers on social media, as outlandish and trivial, which does not fit the nature of Arab societies governed by customs and traditions.
Art critic, Tarek el-Shennawy, said that the movie does not promote homosexuality.
He added that the director is Lebanese and the film talks about the Lebanese environment and that the vocabulary of the dialogue is also Lebanese, explaining that the film does not contain a dialogue phrase, whether directly or indirectly, that promotes homosexuality.
One social media user said that the film is shocking as it tries to portray a defamed picture about the society and “make that look normal”.
فيلم اصدقاء ولا اعز
فيلم صادم يحمل رسالة مرفوضة
يصدر صورة مجتمع منحل
وكأنه يحاول ان يجعل هذه الصورة شيء عادي
وكنت اتمنى لو ان منى ذكي لم تشارك فيه— فيها حاجة حلوة (@nagwaegypt1234) January 22, 2022
Raghda El Saeed, another Twitter user, urged the audience who did not like the movie to not watch it instead.
شوية الفاظ صدمات اجتماعية مع شوية كشف للمستور .إثارة جدل ، نسب مشاهدة عالية ، نجاح فظيع .. ارهاب فكري للي هيفتح بقه انه هيتقال عليه راجعي .و صدام مجتمعي و هوباااا تعاقد علي سلسلة افلام من النوعية دي . الابداع موجود بس مش هيثير الجدل .. المشاهدات = نجاح ، بسيطة متتفرجوش
— ﮼رغدة﮼السعيد (@RaghdaaElSaeed) January 22, 2022
