Close Friendship is superficial: the Lebanese-Egyptian movie Perfect Strangers

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“Perfect Strangers” (Arabic title: “Ashab Wala A’azz,” meaning “Dearest Friends”) is a 2022 Arabic-language film, notably Netflix’s first original Arabic film. While often referred to as a “Lebanese Egyptian” movie, it’s actually a pan-Arab production, filmed in Lebanon, featuring a diverse cast from various Arab countries, including prominent actors from Lebanon and Egypt.

Here’s a breakdown:

• Origin: It’s an adaptation of the immensely popular 2016 Italian hit film “Perfetti Sconosciuti” (Perfect Strangers), which has been remade in numerous countries worldwide.
• Plot: The story revolves around seven close friends who gather for a dinner party. They decide to play a game: everyone places their cell phones on the table, and any incoming call, text message, or voice message must be shared openly with the entire group. What starts as a fun and seemingly harmless game quickly escalates, as hidden secrets, betrayals, and uncomfortable truths are revealed, exposing the complex and often fragile nature of their relationships.
• Cast: The film boasts an ensemble cast of well-known Arab actors, including:
  • Nadine Labaki (Lebanon)
  • Mona Zaki (Egypt)
  • Eyad Nassar (Jordanian, but often associated with Egyptian cinema)
  • Adel Karam (Lebanon)
  • Georges Khabbaz (Lebanon)
  • Diamand Abou Abboud (Lebanon)
  • Fouad Yammine (Lebanon)
• Controversy and Cultural Significance: Upon its release, “Perfect Strangers” stirred significant controversy across the Middle East, particularly in Egypt. The main reasons for the uproar included:
  • LGBTQ+ Representation: The inclusion of an openly gay character, portrayed sympathetically, was a major point of contention for some viewers and conservative voices. This was seen as “promoting homosexuality,” which is often illegal or culturally condemned in the region.
  • Mona Zaki’s Character: Egyptian actress Mona Zaki, a beloved figure, faced an intense backlash for her character’s storyline, including a scene where she removes her underwear (though it happens mostly off-screen) and her character’s secret life. Some perceived her role as a violation of traditional Egyptian values.
  • Reactions: The film sparked widespread debate on social media, with calls for it to be banned and even lawsuits threatened. However, it also received significant support from artists, critics, and those advocating for artistic freedom and the open discussion of societal issues. Netflix, for its part, stood by the film, stating it “explores universal themes without taking a moral stand.”

Despite the controversy, “Perfect Strangers” achieved high viewership numbers and sparked important conversations about social norms, censorship, and representation in Arab cinema. It highlighted the evolving landscape of media consumption and the ongoing tension between traditional values and modern narratives in the region.

When does a friend become a brother?

Regular friendship can’t go beyond the surface

The movie powerfully illustrates the idea that many, if not most, “regular” friendships and even close relationships operate primarily at a superficial level, carefully concealing deeper truths and secrets.

Here’s why “Perfect Strangers” supports this point:

• The Premise Itself: The entire premise of the game—putting phones on the table—is designed to force intimacy and transparency that the characters would never otherwise allow. They are “friends,” but their friendship exists with unspoken boundaries and hidden compartments.
• The Explosion of Secrets: As soon as the superficial layer is stripped away by the phone game, a cascade of shocking secrets is revealed. These aren’t minor indiscretions; they are major betrayals, lies, hidden desires, and fundamental aspects of their lives that they’ve actively kept from their “closest friends” and even spouses.
  • Infidelity
  • Financial struggles
  • Secret relationships (including a gay relationship)
  • Professional compromises
  • Discontent and unhappiness within their marriages
• The Illusion of Intimacy: Before the game, they genuinely believe they know each other well. They laugh, share anecdotes, and offer advice, but it’s all based on carefully curated facades. The movie exposes how fragile this illusion is.
• The Damage Inflicted: The revelations don’t just cause awkwardness; they shatter trust, reveal deep-seated resentments, and fundamentally alter the way the characters perceive each other. It shows that maintaining these superficial friendships comes at the cost of genuine connection and honesty.
• The Aftermath: The ending, ambiguous as it is, suggests that reverting to the pre-game “normalcy” is difficult, if not impossible, once Pandora’s Box of secrets has been opened. The knowledge of what lies beneath the surface cannot be unseen.

The film effectively argues that the convenience and comfort of many social relationships rely on a mutual agreement not to dig too deep. True intimacy, it suggests, requires a level of vulnerability and honesty that most people are unwilling or afraid to risk, even with those they consider their closest friends. The phones become a metaphor for these hidden lives, proving that what’s not shared can define a relationship just as much as what is.

C’ishte valle ajo? Friendship?! Many people call it that! Is there better? Of course, but we will not call friendship anymore. It will be brothership, sistership, familyship, the overstated but misplaced “soul mate”.

When some truths are revealed, will we call him/her a devil in disguise?