Recommended by: Pakhi Tiwari
Pakhi and I have this thing: we are always blowing up each other’s inboxes the moment we come across a cinematic masterpiece that makes us feel. Sad, happy, scared, or anything, the impact of the movie or show should be strong enough. Joyland landed in my inbox just like that. Pakhi recently watched it, and I trust in her taste, so if it came from her, I had to watch it too. Did I like it? I will share my Joyland review soon, but first, be warned there are some gut-wrenching spoilers that will ruin the whole experience of this movie.
So, proceed at your own risk or watch the movie first.
Joyland: A Story that Haunts Once Over
Joyland isn’t a simple story that goes on a linear path. It focuses on patriarchy, transphobia, and mainly on the concept of fighting inner demons.
Joyland follows Haider (Ali Junejo), a soft-spoken guy stuck under the weight of his Lahore family’s expectations.
He’s jobless, gentle, and totally eclipsed by a dad who’d rather see him toughen up than feel anything real. Then he scores a gig as a backup dancer for Biba (Alina Khan), a badass transgender woman who owns the stage at an erotic theater.
Their vibe—hesitant, forbidden, alive, sparks something wild that crashes through Haider’s wife, Mumtaz (Rasti Farooq), and their whole household.
This isn’t some fluffy romance; it’s a tragedy of dreams that can’t breathe and joys that get snatched away.
I am not sure if the creators wanted to place Haider as the center of the story because, along with his agony, the fate of Mumtaz bothered me so much. The moment Haider finds this new job, she is expected to stay home and help her sister-in-law with house chores.
This is Where Mumtaz’s Misery Begins
She was a make-up artist, passionate, and great at what she did. Alas, her misery entered the home with Haider’s new job.
I am not only talking about these new restrictions that Mumtaz was placed into. I am talking about how Haider’s new freedom was taking him too far.
Haider’s longing hit me like a freight train—those looks he gives Biba like she’s the only thing that makes sense; I didn’t know how to feel about it.
One side had Biba receiving the kind of love and respect from Haider nobody else offered her. On the other side, there was Mumtaz.
Watching her fade as she swaps her salon job for a life she hates—it’s this quiet, brutal ache.
When everything has happened, all the conversations, confessions, and dramatic fights, there comes a point when Saim Sadiq (director of the movie) drops the biggest bomb.
*Major Spoiler Warning*
Mumtaz ends her life. I guess she decides to do that on the day her father-in-law turns 70. At his birthday party, Mumtaz is seen carelessly playing with children, running here and there with her pregnant belly. The scene was crafted to deliver anxiety, but it was also a genius hint towards what was about to come. (well done, Mr. Sadiq, very well done!)
Joyland’s Screen Resolution is A Claustrophobic Canvas
Joyland is shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio. With saturated grainy frames, you can’t help but appreciate the art of this movie. There are tons of shots that could be great movie posters.
For instance, in the scene where the group dances without power, or Haider sitting behind Biba on the scooter, or Haider moving deeper into the sea.
These visuals, and the way this movie is shot, induce anxiety at some scenes. I am sure that was the intention of Sadiq and cinematographer Joe Saade.
Sadiq has created short films before. Darling, Nowhere, Nice Talking to You, all of these were praised.
This was his full-length feature film and he did an absolutely wonderful job with that. Whether it’s the cast, the story that he co-wrote with Maggie Briggs, choice of music, or the cinematography, he nailed it.
His camera doesn’t point fingers; it watches, holding these characters like they’re fragile and fierce all at once.
Biba’s dance scenes—gritty, loud, unapologetic—slam against the stillness of the Rana house, where every look is loaded with rules nobody says out loud.
The Cast: Souls Laid Bare
Now, I can’t complete my Joyland review without talking about how the cast nailed their roles.
Ali Junejo as Haider, he’s this gentle mess of a man, and every twitch of his face screams a longing he can’t voice.
He is seen as a person dominated by almost everybody in his life. It was only Mumtaz that showed him some tenderness, cared about him. Ali’s acting shows that.
Just pay a little bit of focus and you will see how Ali as Haider acts as a conscious and anxious man in front of every other member of the family.
But when it comes to talking to Mumtaz, he feels relaxed, more like himself. It’s the beauty of the act that surely only Ali could manage.
Then there’s Alina Khan as Biba, she’s a force, all fire and fragility wrapped in one. She struts onto that stage like she owns it, but when she’s alone, you see the weight she carries, the fight to be seen.
And Rasti Farooq as Mumtaz is someone that’s going to haunt my soul for a while. How she entered into the movie as a happy face and then slowly transitioned into a broken soul is something Rasti managed to show perfectly.
As the movie progresses, you can feel her every bit of fading away.
These three don’t just act; they live these roles, pulling you into their pain like it’s yours.
It’s the kind of cast that makes you forget you’re watching a movie—they’re that damn good.
The Ban in Pakistan: A Wound That Echoes the Film
Joyland faced some troubles in Pakistan, there were some brief bans of the movie.
The government slapped it with “highly objectionable” for daring to show a trans love story and poke at “Pakistani values.”
I guess you and I are pretty much thinking the same thing after reading this.
But anyway, after pushback—shoutout to Malala Yousafzai, an exec producer, for raising hell—the ban lifted with cuts, but Punjab still said no. Google “Joyland banned in Pakistan,” and you’ll feel that sting too.
There were no Mixed Reviews, Critics Loved Joyland.
I am not the only one who appreciates a work of art like Joyland. I read some critics’ reviews and most of the big names loved the movie.
The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw called it “a delicate, intelligent and emotionally rich film” and I’m nodding along. Roger Ebert’s Glenn Kenny said it’s got “integrity, passion, and bravery,” hitting you hard without preaching.
Final Thoughts: A Must-Watch That Hurts So Good
Pakhi threw Joyland my way, and now it’s yours through Viewers’ Choice.
It’s a wound and a hug in one.
That 4:3 frame traps you, Sadiq’s direction cradles you, and its story—banned but unbroken—yells for a world where wanting doesn’t ruin you.
I was expecting to bawl for Haider and Biba but as they say on the internet ‘bawling for Mumtaz came out of the syllabus’.
Now, it’s your turn, tune into the movie. Let me know if you share my sentiments.
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I am all ears!
Now, watch Joyland. Tissues mandatory.
