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Every week, Imported Horror brings you the best of fiendish ghouls, bloodthirsty zombies and creepy ghosts from beyond the shining seas. We explore international horror movies and television shows from around the globe that are readily available on American streaming services. All episodes are spoiler-free.

Feb 6, 2020

American horror films often inject terror into ordinary suburbs and quiet forest cabins. Babak Anvari skipped that trope. Instead, he resurrected his childhood terrors from the Iran/Iraq War, when civilians were indiscriminately targeted by missiles, and added a sinister djinn to one family's nightmares. The result is a frightening and deeply authentic film. Also - what foreign horror role should be portrayed by Nic Cage?

Motion Picture Terror Scale: 3 (Marcus) / 4 (Melissa). Quality: 5/4+ Personal enjoyment: 5/5

Articles mentioned in this episode:

Throughline: Rules of Engagement

"Lessons from America’s First War with Iran," by Bruce Riedel for the Brookings Institute

"Iran and Iraq remember war that cost more than a million lives," by Ian Black in The Guardian

"The 'beauty' and the horror of the Iran-Iraq war," by Mike Gallagher for BBC News

"Terror in Tehran: Under the Shadow and the politics of horror," by Tom Seymour in The Guardian

"Sundance 2016: Babak Anvari talks 'Under The Shadow,'" by Tom Grater in Screen Daily