Hala

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2:02

Hala

R,

2019,

1h 34m,

Drama/

Romance

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Hala: Trailer 1

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86%

37 Reviews

Tomatometer

56%

50+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

37 Reviews

56%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Seventeen-year-old Pakistani American teenager Hala struggles to balance desire with her family, cultural and religious obligations. As she comes into her own, she grapples with a secret that threatens to unravel her family.

Critics Consensus

Supported by a powerful central performance by Geraldine Viswanathan, Hala offers an insightful look at a young woman's journey of self-discovery.

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Roxana Hadadi

Pajiba

Dec 27, 2019

How Hala allows its characters to navigate that messiness-how the film refuses to align itself with black and white presentations of "good" and "bad"-is intentional and commendable.

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Soraya Nadia McDonald

NPR

Dec 11, 2019

The film shines with a glorious commitment to the emotional evolution of its female characters, which James Sizemore's score accents with notes of subtle agony.

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Brad Newsome

Sydney Morning Herald

Dec 4, 2019

Young Australian Geraldine Viswanathan delivers a performance of tremendous poise, prowess and resonance in this affecting new coming-of-age film.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Aug 8, 2021

5/10

The young lady's crisis is so routine that I no longer care what she does after half an hour. [Full review in Spanish]

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Shikhar Verma

High on Films

May 10, 2021

2.5/5

With a genuinely moving and understated performance by Geraldine Viswanathan, the film still manages to evoke a certain reaction from the audience, even if it misses its mark quite often.

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Bianca Garner

Next Best Picture

May 5, 2021

8/10

Geraldine Viswanathan's central performance shines, and Minhal Baig's script brings a refreshing take on the "coming-of-age" narrative.

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Harry G

Jan 29, 2019

First time at Sundance and the second film I saw. What a horrible disappointment as I was very much looking forward after the lovely short film. Terribly boring story, weird execution, never made to feel anything for the characters. I don't know how to describe it other than an average student film, and many others echoed this sentiment exiting the theater.

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Minhal Baig

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Geraldine Viswanathan

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Hala: Trailer 1

2:02

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Synopsis

Seventeen-year-old Pakistani American teenager Hala struggles to balance desire with her family, cultural and religious obligations. As she comes into her own, she grapples with a secret that threatens to unravel her family.

Director: Minhal Baig
Producer: Minhal Baig, Clarence Hammond, James Lassiter, Jamal M. Watson
Screenwriter: Minhal Baig
Distributor: Apple, Greenwich Entertainment
Production Co: 3 Arts Entertainment, Endeavor Content, Overbrook Entertainment
Rating: R (A Scene of Sexuality)
Genre: Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 22, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 8, 2020
Runtime: 1h 34m

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