752 is Not a Number

Directed by Babak Payami, 752 is Not a Number follows Hamed Esmaeilion as he sets out to discover why the plane carrying his wife and young daughter was shot down by the Iranian government in 2020. It’s compelling subject matter that’s employed to periodically watchable yet mostly underwhelming effect by Payami, which is a shame, ultimately, given that the picture admittedly opens with a fair amount of promise – as Payami does a strong job of establishing the aforementioned tragedy and the devastating impact it’s had on Esmaeilion’s life. There’s little doubt that 752 is Not a Number‘s failure, then, can be attributed to a midsection that’s far too dry and talky to be effective (and affecting), as the movie, beyond a certain point, boasts the feel of a segment on a garden-variety news program that’s been awkwardly (and unsuccessfully) stretched out to feature length – with the focus on the tedious minutia of Esmaeilion’s investigation draining the viewer’s interest to a rather (and palpably) disastrous degree. And although the movie’s final half hour contains a small handful of compelling episodes, including a tense sequence wherein Esmaeilion attempts to get his wife’s Apple Watch working, 752 is Not a Number has long-since cemented its place as an earnest documentary that’s rarely, if ever, as gripping or emotionally resonant as Payami has undoubtedly intended.

** out of ****