Sheikh Jackson

2017 ‘شيخ جاكسون’ Directed by Amr Salama

The sudden death of Michael Jackson sends a former King of Pop devotee — now a young imam — into a tailspin, in this tender and comedic film from Egyptian filmmaker Amr Salama.

Ahmed Al Fishawy Ahmed Malek Amina Khalil Maged El Kedwany Omar Ayman Salma Abu Deif Yasmin Raeis Ibrahim Farah Mohamed Al-Ahmedy Mahmoud Al Shurbajy Ahmed Al-Hinnawy Salma Tarek Amr Salah Shahira Fahmy Mahmoud Gomaa Dorra Muhammad Mohie Muhammad Hussain Mona Abdel Wahab Amr Medhat Mahmoud El Bezawy Basma Hazem Ehab

93 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by Raneem 🌞 2

I watched it couple years ago and I liked it, i was accepting to like it less now but it’s still good.
Tho it could have been much better with some changes but the story is really good.
Review by Allison M. 🌱 ★★★ 2

This movie provides a very different POV from a boy who becomes a man listening to and adoring the music of Michael Jackson. We all know that M.J. died in 2009 which proved to be a challenging event for our main character. He explores his feelings through the lens of his family and religion, choosing to be who he is, despite questioning his identity in how he relates to the King of Pop.
This is the 112th film I saw using Movie Pass.
Review by Brandon ★★★★

Wow!!!
Great character study about unresolved trauma, identity, and maturing beyond simple concepts of black-and-white good and evil. Secularism vs religion takes a big backseat and is mostly besides the point.
Funny how a plot point is that the main character couldn't cry anymore because boy I sure did!!
Give this writer/director a Hollywood budget and they'd make a masterpiece.
Review by salma olama ★★★½

my thoughts are everywhere. here are some:
- yes, the film would have been so much better had they gained the rights to use michael jackson’s songs, but i kind of liked how you got to see the past self’s love for jackson from an observer’s perspective and you don’t get to see everything he’s experiencing and you get to focus 100% on how happy he is and the joy he’s feeling and ugh
- i loved that it didnt make one lifestyle look better than the other
- THAT SCENE WHEN THEY WERE FIXING THE CAR
- i am a huge fan of amr salama’s work and this film’s success is making me so happy
- i LOVED the…
Review by Matt Brown ★★★

OK I have some THOUGHTS Y'ALL.
- UNICORN STORE does it better but the fact that this Festival has (thus far) employed Michael Jackson and unicorns as fantasy avatars of our best inner selves, which heroes/heroines must seek to nurture and enshrine in their quest for self-love, has me smiling.
- I can fully understand why this film couldn't work out the licensing rights but this movie would be epically improved with a few well-placed actual-Michael-Jackson songs instead of the various simulacra within. Again, even the STRANGER THINGS team barely licensed Jackson this year so I get it, and there are some inspired choices to get around the problem, but... some of these scenes would FLY with their intended song…
Review by leia ★★★★ 7

yes i unironically give a movie about a sheikh thats a michael jackson stan 4 stars and were all gonna stay silent on it
Review by munta ★★★★½

Here I am, alone again
Can't get out of this hole I'm in
It's like the walls are closin' in
You can't help me, no one can
فلم رائع
Review by Ziad El Shal ★★★

اول مرة اشوف الفيلم كنت دخلته سينما و خرجت بعد ربع ساعة من البضان و الكرينج بأمانة مقدرتش استحمل السذاجة الي كانت موجود في الشخصية الرئيسية و الطريقة الي عمرو سلامة كاتبها بيها, انهاردة لسبباً ما قررت اديله فرصة تانية اكلمه لأخره و في الحقيقة رغم كوارث الفيلم فهو مش سيء و يعني تجربة الى حد كبير متستحقش الشتيمة يعني ممكن اقول انها تجربة شجاعة و دا رغم ان عمرو سلامة وقع في فخ انه يخلي الشخصية الرئيسية نكتة و مخدهاش جد كفاية, او يمكن دي شخصيته, فانا مقدرش اقول ان الفيلم مدعي, لأنه بيعبر عن افكار الي عامله و رغم سذاجتها مش دي مشكلة الفيلم مشكلته الحقيقية في ان عمرو سلامة معبرش عن افكاره بامثل طريقة, رغم ان الفيلم…
Review by Fadi Michel ★★★★

2017 Egyptian Movies, Ranked
This is a big step forward in Amr Salama's career. He directed this movie beautifully. It is perfectly shot with excellent editing. The movie introduces a deep story and maybe controversial to some people and it was told in a non linear way. It is a big self-examination journey to the main character. It suffers from weak writing of the female characters and if it was 2 hours instead of 93 minutes it could have been perfect because there are some things happened a little bit fast.
The performances are stunning especially Ahmed Malek & Maged El Kedwany. Their scenes are amazing.
Overall, the movie was an entertaining and wonderful experience. It is worth watching.
Review by Bassem Emad ★★★★ 1

A superb character study about the conflict of identity we as Egyptians experience in our society, it's not just a religious conflict, it's a conflict of emotions that are so rarely discussed even amongst ourselves, we bury it deep inside till it rots and suffocates us with the stench of unresolved trauma, and that's exactly what the movie is aspiring to accomplish, resolving the conflict, the trauma, the unannounced sadness within its main character, it's a cathartic experience in a way for me personally.
The movie addresses the issue of toxic masculinity in Egypt and in Arab communities in general, we are all taught from a very young age that in order to be a good man you have to…
Review by hassan islam

نفس الاحساس اللي حسيته بعد اول مرة شوفته فيها، الاحساس اللي حسيته مع كل افلام عمرو سلامة (باستثناء فيلم اسماء) احساس الولا حاجة كأني كنت قاعد بتفرج علي هوا. عمري ما عرفت اندمج مع اي فيلم من افلام عمرو سلامة يعني ممكن اقول ان اسماء فيلم حلو بس مقدرش اقول اني بحبه ولا انه معلق معايا وتقريبا السبب في ده هو ان تقريبا عمرو سلامة مبيهتمش بانه يعمل فيلم حقيقي يتصدق ويبقي فيه حاجة تلمسك قد ما بيهتم انه يعمل مشاهد عشان ناس معينة تسقف وهي بتتفرج عالمشاهد دي في لحظتها وممكن ينسوها تاني يوم.
الاماكن، الحوار، الشخصيات.. كل الحاجات دي مبعرفش اصدقها في افلامه ولا بعرف اتواصل معاها، شخصية بسمة في الفيلم ده واللي لو رجعت شوفت افلام عمرو سلامة تاني هلاقي زيها كتير الشخصية اللي عمري ما هصدق انها في الحقيقة ممكن تقول الكلام ده او عالاقل مش بالطريقة دي واغلب الشخصيات في افلامه بيكون كلامها مزيف ميتصدقش.
Review by Luke Pauli ★★★★

Sky Movies' a Premiere a Day
A really interesting little film from Egypt, about a devout Islamic preacher with a secret life-long obsession with Michael Jackson. It has a lot to say about the power of passion and the danger of repression, as well as the universal and transcendental nature of music. It suffers slightly from not having any Jackson music (presumably a budgetary issue) but director Amr Salama finds novel ways around that, and if you’re familiar with the iconography of Jackson’s music then there’s plenty of visual cues to enjoy. Around the weighty issues, it detours into David Lynch-esque surrealism and even horror. Really well acted, really unique and interesting film that I was enjoyed very much.

Recent reviews

Review by Mariana Maia ★★★★½

a melhor coisa de 2020 foi ver um líder religioso muçulmano ultra conservador dançando michael jackson e vestido a caráter
Review by Carla Gonçalves ★★★★

Sheikh Jackson faz parte da leva de filmes do chamado novo cinema egípcio, que ganhou relevância após os protestos da chamada primavera árabe. Os filmes egípcios ganharam mais força e diversidade desde então, tocando em assuntos muitas vezes espinhosos para a cultura árabe conservadora.
Confesso que quando assisti ao trailer de Sheikh Jackson pela primeira vez, pensei se tratava de uma comédia, principalmente ao ver a cena do “Michael Jackson” entrando em uma mesquita para rezar, ou dançar no caso.
Mas ao assistir o filme a minha percepção mudou, apesar do filme ter muitas cenas cômicas, o que estava por trás da mensagem passada pelo diretor Amr Salama, era muito mais importante.
Salama toca em assuntos polêmicos, como o conflito…
Review by Jéssica Frazão ★★★★

Possibilidade de conhecer uma narrativa anti-hegemônica e extremamente criativa de um sheik fã de Michael Jackson.
Review by Wesley Pereira de Castro ★★★★

Filme surpreendente e muito aplaudível no modo adulto com que enfrenta a temática: pela sinopse e cartaz, faz com que pensemos tratar-se de uma comédia, mas é um estudo psicanalítico de personagem muito inteligente e sensível, que conta com excelentes interpretações e com uma abordagem não-ressentida do fundamentalismo religioso. Ou seja, entende o afã de quem recorre às obsessões comportamentais, sem julgá-las. O maior "defeito" do filme foi não ter conseguido licenciar as canções do artista venerado pelo protagonista, de modo que as cenas de dança são estranhas em sua adaptação própria, mas, por outro lado, isso evitou que o filme recaísse numa espetacularização comportamental, sendo inevitável a comparação individual com as angústias relacionais do protagonistas. Ótimo! (WPC>)
Review by Amr Ahmed ★★★★

I'm proud of having such a good Egyptian movie which represented Egypt internationally.
Review by Raneem 🌞 2

I watched it couple years ago and I liked it, i was accepting to like it less now but it’s still good.
Tho it could have been much better with some changes but the story is really good.
Review by mouna toufik ★★★★½

Great bold movie.. "Egypt as usual"
I salute the actors for their performance
Review by Esraa Elsayed ★

فيلم ساذج جدا فيه كمية ادعاء غير طبيعية
وكمية عنصره لا تطاق حسيت اني بتفرج على قوالب طوب طول الفيلم من الممثلين والحوار والاخراج وكله
يمكن لما كنت أصغر شوية كنت بتقبل عمرو سلامة فبحاول اديله فرصه
الفكرة نفسها كويسة فكرة حد عنده اهتمامات كتير ممكن بماتكونش راكبة على بعضها في مجتمع زي مصر بس كان ممكن تتعمل بشكل حقيقي ومصري عن كدا
يعني ماعادي يعني فيه ناس بدقون والله بيسمعوا روك واغاني بيس يعني ياعمرو سلامة والله وكول برده والله الموضوع مش محتاج يعني كمية النمطية اللي انت حاطط فيها الناس دي طلع نفسك بره الشلة بتاعتك الكول شوية.
Review by nina 🌸☁️ ★★★★★

the uniqueness jumped OUT
Review by leia ★★★★ 7

yes i unironically give a movie about a sheikh thats a michael jackson stan 4 stars and were all gonna stay silent on it
Review by Dan_Tebasco ★★★½

- The diabolic music on the radio allows the devil to pee in your ears
Low-key Egyptian drama about a strict muslim imam who's suffering a personal crisis after finding out that his childhood hero Michael Jackson has died.
There's no MJ songs on the soundtrack, probably cause they couldn't afford them (or possibly some references to MJ being a drag queen would have been an issue with the estate), instead we're stuck with elevator music versions of some of his hits. But it works, and the film's focus is not solely on MJ, he's sort of the catalyst for the crisis but it's mostly about religion, taboos, society's expectations and finding your own identity.
It's not a big experience, but it's interesting enough and the cast are believable. And is also rather touching at times.
Review by VipulSingh ★★★

SHEIKH JACKSON (Arabic, 2017, Egyptian Oscar entry 2018):
An aspiring piece of drama set in the conflicting age of religion & freedom.