You cannot deny how awe-inspiring the story of Rule Breakers is despite the melodramatic, made-for-television trappings on full display. However, at its core, this feel-good film is empowering, showcasing the steep hill women from this part of the world must climb for their right to greatness.
The thing is, the tale of these characters is about a group that doesn’t have an inherent right—far from it. Their story is so compelling that it transcends clichés and tropes, highlighting something we often discuss, see in Instagram posts, or pull from our favorite quote books.
Rule Breakers is about resilience—the key to any good story—and it has it in droves.
Rule Breakers Review and Synopsis
The story follows Roya Mahboob (Nikohl Boosheri), a young girl with a passion for computers, living in a community that expects young girls and women to stay in their place. Case in point: the young girls were forced to leave the classroom during class so their teacher could show the boys how to use the brand-new mainframes that had just been delivered to the school.
However, as she sneaks at the boys, who get first dibs through the closed door, it becomes clear that Roya never gives up on her dream. Despite being a student with impeccable grades, she still cannot get her hands and fingertips on one of those keyboards. That is until a coffee shop owner lets her practice on them before his male patrons arrive, inspiring her even further.
Rule Breakers is an Inspirational True Story!
What happens next is what makes this movie such a solid picture. The script, written by director and Oscar winner Bill Guttentag, Jason Brown, and Elaha Mahboob, presents Roya’s next major challenge: forming an all-girls robotics team. Guttentag’s film then does fall into familiar tropes, but they are effective.
For instance, Boosheri’s Roya standing up to convince the father of one of the girls—an elder and a male—requires her to walk a fine line while still exuding fiery determination. The scene is engaging and borders on power, especially considering the cultural, societal, and political factors involved.
I’m not sure how accurate this scene is or the dramatic liberties taken, but the perseverance demonstrated in the story is nothing short of inspirational.
Is Rule Breakers Worth Watching?
Rule Breakers is worth watching despite being a heavy-handed film that follows the genre playbook step by step, becoming predictable. The movie also has a confusing timeline that could have benefited from a steadier hand from Guttentag.
That’s because the group, often operating under the radar and sometimes smack dab in the middle, displays the kind of courageous defiance that films like Guttentag’s are about—inspiration and bravery while navigating oppression and paving the way for future generations. After all, the ones who make history are always the first-timers.
For the ones who want to hold this movie to a higher standard by going through the standard steps, what a privileged life you have lived to judge a film on a straightforward technique rather than the truly special story the film tells to a broader audience.
You can watch Rule Breakers only in theaters March 7th!
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