8 Must Watch Irani Films On OTT
These Iranian films thrive despite censorship, telling stories of resilience, family, and identity that echo globally
From Tehran's streets to the red carpets of Cannes and the Oscars, Iranian cinema is experiencing a renaissance of storytelling that reverbs far beyond the borders of film screens into the culture and beyond. As 2026 unfolds amid global conversations about freedom, governance and cultural expression, Iranian filmmakers have been pushing boundaries with works that thrive despite censorship, crackling internet blackouts, and political upheaval at home. And the world is watching it all.
For audiences accustomed to rich narratives and layered characters, Iranian films offer a fresh cinematic palate by blending raw emotions, subtle humour, social commentary and existential depth. These films invite cinephiles into worlds not only to entertain but echo universal themes of family, identity, power and resilience experienced and expressed from an Iranian point of view.
Must Watch Irani Movies
In this curated guide, we spotlight must-see Iranian films that standout and are essential viewing for those interested in world cinema:
Holy Spider
Where: Netflix
In the city of Mashhad in Iran, a killer vows to cleanse the streets from sin. A true-crime thriller, Holy Spider, depicts how a reporter from Tehran investigates the killings of sex workers who turn up dead. Released in 2022 and directed by Ali Abbasi, the film is inspired by the true killings of at least 16 women from 2000 to 2001 in Mashhad, Iran by a man known as Spider Killer.
A Separation
Where: Netflix
A film that released in 2011, A Separation follows the story of disappointed and desperate daughter from an Iranian middle-class family who suffers due to her parent's separation. The conflicts heighten when the husband hires a lower-class caregiver for his elderly father, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. A Separation won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012, becoming the first Iranian film to win the award.
The Salesman
Where: Prime Video
While participating in a production of Arthur Miller's Death of A Salesman, a married couple Ranaa and Emad are forced to move apartments. But in their new home, Ranaa is assaulted which leaves Emad determined to find out the perpetrator over his wife's traumatised objections. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Oscars in 2017.
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For Neda
Where: JioHotstar
For Neda is a documentary tells the personal story of the young Iranian woman and her tragic death. On 20 June 2009, Neda Agha Soltan was shot in the heart by a sniper in a back street of Tehran. Within hours of her death this young Iranian woman's dying moments, captured on mobile phones, appeared on computer screens across the world.
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Presepolis
Where: Mubi/Netflix
The Oscar nominated animated film, Presepolis, follows a young woman's childhood in repressive Iran, her adolescence in Vienna and her return to Tehran as an adult.
Children of Heaven
Where: Prime Video
The 1997 film Children of Heaven follows the story of siblings Ali and Zahra who make an intricate arrangement to conceal the loss of Zahra's pair of shoes. However, when it becomes difficult to do so, Ali decides to participate in a race to win new shoes.
Under The Shadow
Where: Netflix
During the Iran-Iraq conflict, a Tehran woman caring for her daughter while her husband is at war is gradually convinced evil spirits are at work. After Shideh's building is hit by a missile during the Iran-Iraq War, a superstitious neighbor suggests that the missile was cursed and might be carrying an evil spirit.
Taxi Tehran
Where: Prime Video
Unlike the Robert DeNiro film Taxi Driver, the 2015 Iranian docufiction starring and directed by Jafar Panahi, Taxi Tehran records the stories and conversations of his passengers as he courses through the streets of Tehran.