Taste of Cherry

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Taste of Cherry

1998

1h 38m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

83%

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40 Reviews

83%

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5,000+ Ratings

A middle-aged Tehranian man, Mr. Badii (Homayoun Ershadi) is intent on killing himself and seeks someone to bury him after his demise. Driving around the city, the seemingly well-to-do Badii meets with numerous people, including a Muslim student (Mir Hossein Noori), asking them to take on the job, but initially he has little luck. Eventually, Badii finds a man who is up for the task because he needs the money, but his new associate soon tries to talk him out of committing suicide.

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Critics Consensus

Taste of Cherry's somewhat simple aesthetic belies a richly ambiguous character study with an impressively ambitious thematic scale.

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Keith Uhlich

House Next Door

03/06/2007

Taste of Cherry might be Kiarostami's most difficult film.

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John Hartl

Film.com

07/24/2001

Has a visual style that seems rudimentary but becomes increasingly hypnotic and resonant.

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Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

01/01/2000

2.5/5

The film's ambiguous ending has enough possible interpretations to fuel at least a dozen post-screening arguments. Others may just want to flee the scene and allow our enigmatic hero to go gentle into that good night.

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Brian Susbielles

InSession Film

03/07/2023

It’s minimalist, it’s self-reflexive...[audiences] may be very receptive to Kiatrosami’s philosophical approach to living and dying.

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Wael Khairy

The Cinephile Fix

09/28/2022

“Taste of Cherry” doesn’t argue for or against the concept of suicide, but it does ask for a compassionate view on the desire to do so.

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Mattie Lucas

From the Front Row

11/09/2020

4/4

Attains a kind of haunting mysticism, profoundly shifting the audience's perception of reality. It's Kiarostami's finest work, and one of the best films of the 1990s.

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James B.

@JamesBass Jan 21

★★★★★ A Haunting Masterpiece of Existential Cinema Taste of Cherry is a profoundly unsettling film, not because of what it shows, but because of what it asks. A quiet, persistent unease permeates every frame, circling a single, devastating question: what does it take for a person to decide to end their own life? Abbas Kiarostami employs minimalism in its most chilling form. Sparse dialogue, restrained performances, and repetitive journeys through barren landscapes strip the film down to its philosophical core. The result is an experience that feels less like conventional storytelling and more like an existential essay—one that unfolds slowly, patiently, and with unnerving restraint. For admirers of international cinema, and Iranian cinema in particular, Taste of Cherry is deeply rewarding. Its power lies in suggestion rather than exposition. Unlike The Vanishing (the French/Dutch original), where horror is made explicit, Kiarostami leaves the true terror entirely to the imagination—where it lingers long after the film ends. This is cinema that trusts the viewer, challenges comfort, and refuses easy answers. A quiet masterpiece.

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Patrick S

@PatrickStruik Dec 13

Kiarostami masterpiece.

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Nebiyu M

@Nebbb Nov 3

A slow, beautiful film that makes you sit with your own thoughts. It’s quiet, emotional, and honest, like a long drive that makes you question what really matters. The ending doesn’t give answers, just peace.

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Dani G

@RT81139271 03/31/2024

This was the first film I watched of Kiarostami's filmography, many years ago, and it made an impact on me. Powerful philosopical drama

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Leaburn O

@RT35452347 02/07/2024

A brilliant film. Captivating because you can't help but put yourself in their shoes. And then the ending could have gone a million different ways whilst still being captivating. The set up to the denouement is brilliant and whilst the ending may be lacklustre, it remains entirely valid. My one quibble is that the main protagonist simply doesn't act like someone exhibiting suicidal angst in any way shape or form which diminishes the impact a little. The premise wins over n the end. Iran has produced many brilliant low budget films and this Palme D'Or winner is one of them. They rely on brilliant screenplay in the manner of the classic Hollywood films and it never grows old. Watched on YouTube.

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Alejandro E

@Alex970 10/06/2023

Narrated as if it were a documentary, it intelligently addresses a rather delicate topic: suicide. Without the support of a musical score, and a mysterious ending that does not provoke indifference, it is one of many good examples of Middle Eastern cinema.

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Abbas Kiarostami

Director

Homayoun Ershadi

Mr. Badii

Abdolrahman Bagheri

Mr. Bagheri

Afshin Khorshid Bakhtiari

Soldier

Safar Ali Moradi

The Soldier

Mir Hossein Noori

The seminarian

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Synopsis

A middle-aged Tehranian man, Mr. Badii (Homayoun Ershadi) is intent on killing himself and seeks someone to bury him after his demise. Driving around the city, the seemingly well-to-do Badii meets with numerous people, including a Muslim student (Mir Hossein Noori), asking them to take on the job, but initially he has little luck. Eventually, Badii finds a man who is up for the task because he needs the money, but his new associate soon tries to talk him out of committing suicide.

Director: Abbas Kiarostami
Producer: Abbas Kiarostami
Screenwriter: Abbas Kiarostami
Distributor: Zeitgeist Films
Production Co: Abbas Kiarostami Productions
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Persian
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 20, 1998, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 15, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA): $253.0K
Runtime: 1h 38m
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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