A Separation
A married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.
Directed by Asghar Farhadi · Drama · 123 min · 2011
Trailer
Director
Asghar Farhadi
Writer
Asghar Farhadi
Studio
distributor = Filmiran
Release
16 Mar 2011
Runtime
123 min
Genres
Drama
Full Plot
Nader (Payman Maadi) and Simin (Leila Hatami) argue about living abroad. Simin prefers to live abroad to provide better opportunities for their only daughter, Termeh. However, Nader refuses to go because he thinks he must stay in Iran and take care of his father (Ali-Asghar Shahbazi), who suffers from Alzheimers. However, Simin is determined to get a divorce and leave the country with her daughter.
Cast & Characters
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $5.0M, A Separation has grossed $24.4M worldwide — about 4.9x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
The concept came from a number of personal experiences and abstract pictures which had been in Asghar Farhadi's mind for some time.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
As of 17 April 2014, A Separation has grossed worldwide over $24 million on an estimated budget of just $800,000, making it a huge box-office success.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Critical Assessment
A Separation holds 8.3/10 on IMDb (276,307 votes), 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, 95/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 11, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.3/10 on IMDb (276,307 votes), 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, 95/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is A Separation's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
A Separation holds a 99% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is A Separation's IMDb rating?+
A Separation has a 8.3/10 rating on IMDb from 276,307 votes.
What is A Separation's Metacritic score?+
A Separation has a Metascore of 95/100 on Metacritic.
Is A Separation good? What are critics saying?+
A Separation holds 8.3/10 on IMDb (276,307 votes), 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, 95/100 on Metacritic.
How long is A Separation?+
A Separation has a runtime of 123 min.
Who directed A Separation?+
A Separation was directed by Asghar Farhadi.
Where can I watch A Separation?+
A Separation is available to stream, rent, or buy on Hulu, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Curzon Amazon Channel, Rakuten TV, Curzon Home Cinema.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The film received positive reviews for its simple yet neat story and performances, with many considering it a great movie due to its ability to "believe the story is just happening at your building stairs." Reviewers also praised Iranian cinema, calling it "brutally underrated" and one of the best they've seen. The trailers highlighted the film's intense nature, with some viewers describing their experience as feeling like a documentary.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
Great movie around and simple yet neat story with great characters, script and performances. You can totally believe the story is just happening at your building stairs.
Andres Gomez · 9/10
From the trailer's comments
Let movies like this be a lesson to the world: art knows many cultures. But it knows no borders.
@Kira1Lawliet · 1164 likesIranian cinema is brutally underrated.
@Bishlambo · 84 likesOne of the best and most Intense films I've ever seen. The gentleman playing the lead role deserved an Oscar for best actor. Nobody that year even came close to him. At times I felt I was watching a documentary rather than a piece of fiction. Respect and love to the people of Ira…
@chunkylover017 · 850 likesI went to the cinema watched the movie, came out , bought a ticket again, and went in
@eliu6oniu · 32 likesRecently started watching Iranian films, never knew theyy were so great. Respect from India.
@piyushsharma-lv7oi · 1266 likesEasily the best movie ever created. It shows just how morally complex people are and how misunderstandings are root causes of all problems. In real life, problems do not stem from one singular event nor from one individual. There's fair share of blame that can go around and ultim…
@arvindchander967 · 681 likesThis puts hollywood movies to shame
@ahmedgdh · 603 likes"children of heaven, the color of paradise, about elly " 3 Iranian movies that you will never forget for the rest of your life...trust me
@TheMoonlight2006 · 835 likes
