| Roqia | |
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| Directed by | Yanis Koussim |
| Written by | Yanis Koussim |
| Produced by | Farès Ladjimi |
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| Cinematography | Jean-Marie Delorme |
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Running time | 89 minutes |
| Countries | France, Algeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia |
Roqia is a 2025 psychological thriller film directed by Yanis Koussim. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival. [1]
On July 23, 2025, Roqia was acquired by the French company Alpha Violet for global distribution. [2] On December 11, its United States distribution rights were acquired by Watermelon Pictures. [3]
Middle East Eye named Roqia "possibly the most effective Arab horror this century." [4]
Screen Daily lauded Koussim's ability to turn the real, dark history of the Algerian Civil War into a classic possession story. [5]
AwardsWatch gave the film a B, concluding that "Roqia draws parallels between exorcism and radicalization in sometimes brilliant, sometimes clunky ways." [6] Ioncinema gave it three out of five stars, finding it "successful in its narrative scope" albeit a little predictable. [7]
Dread Central appreciated how Koussim used possession "to explore the aftereffects of seemingly never-ending cycles of violence" rather than approach "the usual good versus evil conversation that leans towards religious propaganda." [8]
Cineuropa found that the film successfully employed the "classic ingredients of horror cinema" to "shed light on the vampires of fundamentalism... which must be remembered at all costs to prevent their return." [9]