Once Upon a Time in Gaza (2025)
The Palestinian twins Tarzan and Arab Nasser have spent their careers making films about Gaza from the inside out, finding dark comedy and real style in a place the world's cameras usually frame only as tragedy. Once Upon a Time in Gaza, which won them the Best Director prize in Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2025, might be their boldest swing yet.
Set in the Gaza of the late 2000s, it takes the shape and swagger of a crime picture, the sort of thing you would expect out of London or Los Angeles, and plants it somewhere you would never expect to find one. That alone is a statement. What the brothers do with it is the fun.
I had the privilege of catching Once Upon a Time in Gaza (2025), co-directed by the talented duo Tarzan and Arab Nasser, through my press accreditation at the Muslim International Film Festival. Right out of the gate, it's clear the brothers are aiming for something entirely different for the region's cinema.
The film is very much a tale of two halves, kicking off as a gritty crime thriller. We follow a man deeply entrenched in the local underworld, smuggling and selling illegally prescribed drugs to make a living. It's a solid, grounded setup that immediately drops you into the harsh realities of life in Gaza, setting the stage for what's to come.
But just as you think you've got the narrative figured out, the film completely shifts gears, and this is where the real magic happens. The second half focuses on his mate, who is desperately trying to produce Gaza's very first action film, all while secretly plotting a bloody revenge against the people who wronged his drug-dealing pal.
This is the part of the movie that absolutely sings. It's incredibly reminiscent of early Guy Ritchie or Quentin Tarantino, giving off massive Snatch or Pulp Fiction vibes with its snappy pacing, dark humour, and meta-cinematic flair. I'll admit the transition makes the overall structure feel a little disjointed, and the first half definitely feels a bit sluggish in comparison, but once that second act kicks in, the film becomes an absolute riot.
Technically speaking, the picture is incredibly well shot, capturing the vibrant, chaotic, and often dangerous streets of Gaza with a kinetic, stylish eye that perfectly matches the script's wild tonal shifts. The acting across the board is brilliant, with the cast fully committing to the heightened, slightly absurd reality the directors have created and delivering some truly strong, memorable performances. It's a really good film that manages to be both a love letter to the crime and action movies we grew up worshipping, and a fiercely original piece of Palestinian cinema.
Once Upon a Time in Gaza is a bold, highly entertaining ride that proves great, stylish storytelling can thrive anywhere.
It would have been easy for the Nasser brothers to make something solemn and worthy. Instead they made something alive, funny and stylish, and in doing so they say more about Gaza, and about the films that shaped the rest of us, than a dozen earnest dramas could. I had a blast with it, and I will be first in the queue for whatever they make next.
Reviewed from a press screener for the Muslim International Film Festival (MIFF), where Once Upon a Time in Gaza screens during the 2026 edition, 2 to 5 July.
Related on Movies With Macca
More from Muslim International Film Festival (MIFF): Birds of War (2026), Ghost School (2025), Hijra (2025)
More from the 2020s: Look Back (2024), The Whale (2022), All That's Left of You (2025)
More thriller: Nameless (2026), 1001 Frames (2025), Dead Dogs Don't Bite (2026)
