Rife with paranoia and subterfuge, Cairo Conspiracy feels utterly unique thanks to [its] skillful transposing of the shadowy machinations of courtly intrigue dramas and '70s paranoid thrillers into a very contemporary Egyptian setting.

| Oct 21, 2023

Saleh’s film works on many more levels than sociopolitical, delivering a sophisticated adult thriller while at the same time exploring the intense psychological dynamic of the relationship between Adam and Ibrahim.

| Sep 16, 2023

Refreshingly, the Swedish-born director opts against picking from the low-hanging fruit of indicting Islam and hones in on the fallibility of human nature and our weakness for earthly desires instead.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jul 25, 2023

A great crime thriller that takes the audience into a world that they will seldom see.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jul 22, 2023

This conspiracy tale of unholy deeds will grip and rattle.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 7, 2023

Saleh’s innovation has been to set the story within the highest echelons of Islamic learning, an inconceivable feat for directors based in most middle eastern countries.

| May 26, 2023

Saleh is a born storyteller and the cinematography and soundtrack combine with the screenplay and formidable acting to make Boy from Heaven into a fascinating drama.

| May 26, 2023

In the midst of the hostile context presented, the film shows how pedagogical ideals crumble, with the characteristic intensity of a journey that implies the loss of innocence. [Full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 8/10 | May 18, 2023

Cairo Conspiracy trusts in the power of dialogue and in the impact those have between walls, and for this reason it adheres to the conventions of a genre where duplicity prevails... [Full rview in Spanish]

| Original Score: 4/5 | May 18, 2023

Cairo Conspiracy could be seen as a thriller or a drama, but also, it's a film that analyzes human nature in an unsettling manner. [Full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 3/4 | May 18, 2023

You could argue that it’s a little unlikely that the security forces should choose such a naive young man as Adam to do their inside work, but once you accept that notion then the film – actually made in Turkey – is a very effective thriller.

| Original Score: 4/5 | May 8, 2023

Easily digestible and easy to follow even if we're unfamiliar with Egyptian politics. [Full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | May 5, 2023

If you're a fan of spy thrillers, especially in the occasionally impenetrable and bracingly amoral John Le Carre-style, you will find plenty to enjoy here.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | May 4, 2023

It's fascinating to follow the different threats that the protagonist faces in a tense game of cat and mouse that, in the end, Saleh poses as a rite of passage. [Full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Apr 17, 2023

Saleh’s political saga turns progressively knottier and more claustrophobic, almost to a fault. But it’s also horribly tense [and] richly textured...

| Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 16, 2023

Thrillers about anxious informants aren’t new, and this one has no unique flair. But its particular clash of religion and politics adds strong details to its slow-burning tale.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 16, 2023

It is monotonous, although not irritating. The theme could've been fodder for more, but the narrative lacks strength. It searches in vain for suspense. [Full review in Spanish]

| Apr 14, 2023

Cairo Conspiracy could have leaned more towards its chosen genre, but this is a compelling thriller from the filmmaker.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 14, 2023

The captivating cinematography and the good work of the irresistible Fares Fares manages to neutralize the repetitive narrative that makes this film unmemorable. [Full review in Spanish]

| Original Score: 3/5 | Apr 13, 2023

The film’s biggest coup is the common thread it finds in both worlds: military back rooms and holy offices alike filled with the ambitious jostling for position.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 13, 2023