Director: Hamid Rakhshani
Cast: Hosein Gil, Marjaneh Golchin, Mansoor Heidari, Hamide Kheyrabadi, Reza Rouygari
Shabe Bisto Nohom is a 1989 Iranian horror-family film directed by Hamid Rakhshani, weaving supernatural folklore into a domestic drama about a newlywed woman terrorized by a vengeful supernatural force — one of the relatively rare examples of the horror genre produced in post-revolution Iranian cinema.
What is Shabe Bisto Nohom about?
A young Iranian woman enters marriage hoping for a new and peaceful life, only to find herself caught in the grip of something far beyond the ordinary. A supernatural being — said to be the daughter of a jinn, herself in love with the woman's new husband — begins haunting the bride with disturbing visions and terrifying apparitions. Each encounter leaves the woman shaken, often to the point of losing consciousness. As the haunting grows more relentless, the woman's sister becomes increasingly involved, doing whatever she can to intervene — but her motives and methods begin to drive a wedge between the couple, raising questions about who truly wishes the young bride harm.
Cast & crew
The film is directed by Hamid Rakhshani and stars Hosein Gil and Marjaneh Golchin in the central roles, supported by Mansoor Heidari, Hamide Kheyrabadi, Reza Rouygari, and Reza Rakhshani. The ensemble brings a grounded domestic register to the supernatural premise, anchoring the horror in the texture of everyday Iranian household life.
Context & significance
Horror has always occupied an uneasy corner of Iranian cinema, and films from the late 1980s that ventured into the genre are especially scarce. Shabe Bisto Nohom draws on deep-rooted Persian belief in the jinn — supernatural beings woven through Islamic tradition and pre-Islamic folklore alike — giving its scares a cultural specificity that sets it apart from generic supernatural fare. For diaspora viewers who grew up hearing stories of jinns and curses from grandparents, the film carries a layer of recognition that goes beyond the screen. It is an artifact of a very particular moment in Iranian film history, when genre filmmaking was finding its footing under new cultural constraints, and it reflects how Persian storytelling traditions adapted to serve audiences hungry for genre thrills.
Where & how to watch
Shabe Bisto Nohom is available to stream on K-Time with original Persian audio. Watch in your browser, on your TV, or on your phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, no extra download required. Start and cancel anytime.