Rule Breakers movie review by Movie Review Mom

MOVIE TITLE: Rule Breakers

This underdog movie based on a true story hits theaters on March 7, 2025.

RATING: PG (This is the first Angel Studios film to be rated PG)

LENGTH: 2 hours

Movie Review Mom GRADE: A

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IN A NUTSHELL:

The story is about a visionary woman who dared to teach young girls to dream of a better future in a nation where educating girls was seen as rebellion. They learn how to build robots for international competitions only to invoke the anger of the controlling Taliban. What kind of insanity says that females shouldn’t be allowed to use computers? This movie will make you angry to see such injustice but also inspire you when you see what the girls were able to accomplish!

The film was written, directed, and produced by two-time Oscar-winning Bill Guttentag. Already, the movie has won an award from ReFrame.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

Sharia law is illustrated, although not quite explained.
No profanity (Yay!)
We see a bomb explode in an Afghan town
We see real footage of the aftermath of a bomb explosion

THEMES:

Education for girls in Afghanistan
Hope
Courage
Robotics
Persistence
Female empowerment
STEM programs in schools

THINGS I LIKED:

This movie will give you all the feels. I got choked up several times and loved it. It’s so heartwarming to learn about the good things that are happening in the world.
I thought it was so sweet at the 8-minute mark when Roya was learning how to use computers and we see through her eyes how the world looks through the internet and coding.
The cast did a great job and included Ali Fazal, Nikohl Boosheri, Noorin Gulamgaus, Amber Afzali, Nina Hosseinzadeh, Sara Malal Rowe, and more.
We get to see clips from real robotics competitions and hear from international students who were competing.
We get to learn about Afghan and Muslim culture a little bit.
There is a moment when a young man offers to shake hands with the girls on the Afghan team. According to Sharia Law for Muslims, women are not allowed to shake hands with non-Muslim men.
We get to see some delicious-looking Afghan food.
Amidst all of the exciting competitions, we see footage from real bombings in Afghanistan that remind us what a dangerous place Afghanistan is. We also learn about the huge numbers of land mines in the world and the frightening number of children that are killed because of them.
The robotics team of girls faced endless obstacles, one after another. Their determination is amazing.
There is a little bit of humor, which is always welcome.
One of the international competitions required the teams to solve a problem in the world. We get to see what some of the teams created, which is so impressive. Remember, these are teenagers still in high school who do all of this!
Before the movie ends, we get to see pictures of the real people the movie was about, as well as learn about the inspiring things they are currently doing.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

There is a lot of jumping around in timelines in Act 1, so be sure to pay attention to the screen when it shows the date.

FUNNY LINES:

None. It’s mostly a drama.

INTERESTING LINES:

“Knowledge is power. Here is the door to knowledge.” – Roya Mahboob (Nikohl Boosheri)
“This is no longer our father’s, our grandfather’s Afghanistan. This is our Afghanistan too, our time.” – Roya Mahboob (Nikohl Boosheri)
“If the boys can use the computers, then so can the girls.” – father
“Nothing ever happened unless someone dreamed it first.” – Roya Mahboob (Nikohl Boosheri)
“If the world were a different place, I would always say yes.” – father “How will things ever change unless men like you start saying yes?” – Roya Mahboob (Nikohl Boosheri)
“I have a father who said yes to me and it gave me wings. And unless more fathers start saying yes, we will always live in fear. Is that who we are?” – Roya Mahboob (Nikohl Boosheri)
“Don’t worry about where you start; it’s where you go.” – Samir Khan (Ali Fazal)
“We are strong…and we can complain or we can fight.” – Roya Mahboob (Nikohl Boosheri)
“This is the only sport in the world where everyone of you can turn pro!” – competition announcer
“This is the Taliban winning. They want our girls to feel dirty and inferior. Is that what you want?” – Roya Mahboob (Nikohl Boosheri)
“Most of the robots are going to lose; all of the kids are going to win.” – competition announcer