Greetings again from the darkness. It would be easy to write this one off as another film in the mold of the many Liam Neeson action movies we’ve seen over the past few years. However, this one from writer-director Bassam Tariq (MOGUL MOWGLI, 2020) is more complex and has more depth … including a blend of religion, action, and family drama. As an added bonus, we get another terrific performance from two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali, he of immense screen presence.
Ali (MOONLIGHT, 2016) plays Latif, a talented hitman and Muslim single dad/widower caught in a web of crime, violence, and issues with a teen and needy infant. He wants to do what’s best for his family, but once caught in that dark underbelly of life, it’s very difficult to claw back out. His Iman, Abdul Malik (Giancarlo Esposito, “Breaking Bad”) pleads for Latif to find non-violent solutions, but Latif spends most of his time reacting to bad situations that could only get worse without his particular set of skills.
Latif’s employer, Mike (Laith Nakli, 12 STRONG, 2018) compels him to protect his nephew Hatty (Abubakr Ali, ANYTHING’S POSSIBLE, 2022), an arrogant scumbag known as the King of Habibi porn. Hatty’s threat arrives in the form of flamboyant cowboy Pastor Hwan Yoon (John Cho, underrated COLUMBUS, 2017). This pastor sports a gold grill, dons a Stetson, and brandishes semi-automatic weapons … all for the sake of cleansing in God’s name. Joining in for the mishmash of religions is a sect of Mormons who prove quite helpful to a family in need.
Even with the above mentioned ‘war’ proceedings, I haven’t even mentioned Latif’s battle to do the right things for his kids: teenage Fatiha (a superb Adia, “The Midnight Club”) who is quietly rebelling against her father’s religion, and young Qadir (Jaleel Kamara, NANNY, 2022) who hopes the religion can bring he and his dad closer. If all that’s not enough, the newborn baby is in desperate need of breastmilk, which leads Latif to a stripper named Fugazi (Tiffany Boone, “Hunters”) and (of course) a trap set by the bad guys. The dad in search of breastmilk for his infant is drawn directly from the life of filmmaker Tariq (minus the Samurai sword).
The film is set in Houston, but filmed in Atlanta, and it pulls off the perfect look given the complex subject matter. After opening with a brutal bathroom fight scene, we welcome the blend of religion, action, and family drama. Most surprising, at its core, this is a story of a father-daughter relationship teetering on a decisive line. “Who deserves the best of you?” is a question to The Prophet answered three times by the film’s title … making the film’s ending a bit of a surprise.
Opens in Dallas theaters on October 9, 2026 and nationwide on October 16.
Posted by David Ferguson 
