Not Without My Daughter

Not Without My Daughter

In 1984, Betty Mahmoody's husband took his wife and daughter to meet his family in Iran. He swore they would be safe. They would be happy. They would be free to leave. He lied.

Directed by Brian Gilbert

Produced by Ufland, MGM-Pathé Communications

1991116 min6.7 / 10

A tense, harrowing true-story thriller about a woman's desperate fight to escape her abusive husband and reclaim her daughter from a hostile foreign country.

An American woman, trapped in Islamic Iran by her brutish husband, must find a way to escape with her daughter as well.

Where to watch

Questions people ask

  • Is Not Without My Daughter easy watching? Not especially. Less comforting than 74% of films.

  • Is Not Without My Daughter scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 72% of films.

  • Is Not Without My Daughter violent? Somewhat. More violent than 71% of films.

  • Is Not Without My Daughter sad? Somewhat. More sad than 70% of films.

  • Does Not Without My Daughter end with hope? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

60/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Familiar shape, done well.

Rarity62

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise62

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love55

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Everything like Not Without My Daughter, and what each one shares →

Like Not Without My Daughter

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Not Without My Daughter

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Not Without My Daughter, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Not Without My Daughter, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Not Without My Daughter, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

Share thisXBlueskyReddit