Common Sense Media Review
By Jose Solis
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Heavy Saudi high school melodrama with violence, bullying.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
From the Ashes
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
FROM THE ASHES takes place at an all-girls school in Saudi Arabia where tensions between students slowly build, especially between Heba (Wafa Wafi) and Amira (Amal Sami), who is often bullied. Rana (Hamss Bandar), the principal's daughter, is caught between loyalty to her friends and pressure from her mother, Ms. Hayat (Alshaima'a Tayeb). When a fire breaks out at the school, panic spreads and students struggle to escape. After the tragedy, the story looks at what led to the disaster and how the girls' choices, along with strict school rules, played a part in what happened.
Is It Any Good?
From the start, the film signals that tragedy is coming, and everything is staged to march us toward it. But From the Ashes builds the rivalry between Heba and Amira so obviously that the disaster feels telegraphed instead of emotionally earned. The fire becomes a plot point rather than a gut punch. There's space here to interrogate the system these girls live under, the rigidity, the doctrine, and the pressures that shape them all, but the film only circles that territory without truly stepping into it.
Most of the characters function as types rather than people: the bullied teacher's pet, the misunderstood rebel, the rigid authority figure. The post-fire investigation doesn't deepen things either. And yet there's one striking image—flames consuming the school—that captures the film's real idea: tragedy doesn't care who was popular or righteous. If the movie had trusted that restraint instead of leaning into melodrama, it might have been powerful. Instead, the emotional excess dulls what should have cut deep.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Heba starts the film as someone who is clearly struggling. What do you think is really going on with her, and how do her choices affect Amira and the rest of the girls?
Rana chooses to speak the truth even when it puts her at risk. Why is that such a difficult decision for her, and what does her honesty change?
Amira is often the target of bullying but remains kind and steady. What makes her resilient, and what does the film suggest about quiet strength?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : January 1, 2024
- Cast : Alshaima'a Tayeb , Wafa Wafi , Amal Sami
- Director : Khalid Fahad
- Inclusion Information : Middle Eastern/North African Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Middle Eastern/North African Movie Actor(s) , Middle Eastern/North African Movie Writer(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Family Stories ( Moms ) , Friendship , School ( High School )
- Run time : 90 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : February 5, 2026
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