Common Sense Media Review
By Stefan Pape
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Slow-paced drama about lost love; some language, sex, drugs.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Luxor
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
LUXOR tells the story of British aid worker Hana (Andrea Riseborough) who returns to Egypt for work, where she inadvertently encounters her former lover Sultan (Karim Saleh). This coming together brings up a host of past memories she seems to have suppressed, as she struggles to reconcile with her own history, while focusing on where she turns next.
Is It Any Good?
Luxor is a movie that is very much for the patient viewer. A slow-burning, pensive drama, it languishes through its narrative as calmly and nonchalantly as its main character, Hana, wanders through the streets of the Egyptian city. Indeed the city of Luxor is integral to the story, with its history adding to the movie's precarious balance of past and present.
Some viewers may struggle with the pace of the movie, as it's fair to say not a lot happens. But the movie does remain an absorbing character study that thrives in the notion of haunted memories, and how the past can catch up, painfully, with the present. Though a flawed film that lacks dramatic tension at times, thanks to the brilliant turn by Riseborough, Zeina Durra's second feature remains engaging for its modest 85-minute runtime.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the character of Hana in Luxor. Would you describe her as a strong female role model? What character strengths does she show? How refreshing is it to see an in-depth character study of a woman, who isn't reliant on the men that surround her?
How is sex portrayed in the movie? Is it affectionate? Respectful? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
Talk about the drug and alcohol use in the movie. Are there any real-life consequences? Why is that important?
Did the lack of action impact your enjoyment of the movie? Why or why not?
The movie is very much about how we are haunted by our own memories. Talk about your own memories. Are they generally happy or sad? What good can memories serve?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : December 4, 2020
- Cast : Andrea Riseborough , Karim Saleh , Michael Landes
- Director : Zeina Durra
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Samuel Goldwyn Films
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : History
- Character Strengths : Compassion
- Run time : 85 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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