Rent Clash (2016)

Confusing but well played - Clash review by nm

At first I thought this may be a little boring but it picks up and is quite raw. My only complaint 9and its a small one) would be that I found it hard to distinguish the different fractions that were involved. So at times I was a little confused as to who was arguing with who. That said, it is well made and the claustrophobic nature of the film is well portrayed. There are many personalities and the actors do a fine job. All in all a good film.

Barely Room to Breathe - Clash review by griggs

There's something almost absurd about how much tension one police van can hold. Clash squeezes its entire story into that single, sweaty box, and somehow never runs out of things to do with it.

The setup is simple: Muslim Brotherhood supporters and pro-army opposition crammed into the same police van during Egypt's 2013 unrest, with barely room to breathe, let alone agree on anything. It shouldn't work as a whole film. It does, mostly because the chaos outside — glimpsed through the van's wire mesh, never fully explained — tells you everything you need without a single lecture.

What struck me most is how the van turns into an accidental Egypt, with everyone's politics — and their patience — squeezed into eight square metres. Arguments break out over water bottles as much as anything political. It's less thriller-tense, more like getting swept up in an actual crowd.

It's relentless, and it won't relax its grip on you for a second. Not an easy watch, but an effective one — a small space with a huge amount happening inside it.