Has there ever been a more palpable tension than the one that exists between a father and his son?

Directed by Meelad Moaphi, His Father’s Son introduces us to Amir (Alireza Shojaei), a young man who is finally beginning to make his way as chef. With creative skill in the kitchen, Amir wants to build his own legacy yet, somehow, he seems a disappointment to his father, Farhad (Gus Tayari). However, after the death of a family friend drops over a million dollars into the lap of his younger brother, Mahyar (Parham Rownaghi), the gift triggers the unleashing of truths and secrets from the past that could destabilize the family at its very core.

With His Father’s Son, Moaphi creates a drama based on a simple premise with extremely complicated implications. There’s simply something about this film that works. Tightly written and executed, Moaphi has created a story that feels authentic in every way. The screenplay keeps interactions focused, even as Amir works his way towards ‘the big reveal’. The conversations feel natural and honest, even at their most stressed.

In short, these people feel… real.

Much of the credit for this comes from its cast. There’s simply an ease between them that feels authentic. This is especially true in scenes between Shojaei and Tayari, both of whom carry the necessary tension that can fuel a father-son relationship. Amir is a man who is in the process of charting his own course. However, the weight of his father’s expectations (and the challenge of clearly not being ‘the favourite’) burdens him greatly.

For Amir, success isn’t only about earning his keep. It’s about proving to his father that he’s capable. The push-pull that exists between them is palpable, with Shojaei trying to show that he knows the way to success to a man who doesn’t fully understand the proverbial (modern) route to do so.

But that’s also the question that lies at the heart of this Son. Here, Moaphi delves into the very soul of fatherhood and what makes one fit for the role. As Farhad navigates his relationship between the two boys, the film taps into the way that our parents relate to us and how it shapes us. Although their marriage appears stable, the realities of passing on one’s legacy to their children have caused Farhad to demand more from them (or, at the very least, from Amir). And, as secrets are revealed, that rift becomes widened.

This feeling of never truly live up to his father embeds Amir’s heart with a certain level of shame and brokenness. Having never felt as though he’s received Farhad’s unconditional love, Amir infuses his conversations with his dad with a sharpened edge. There’s a disdain for his father whenever he’s at their home, yet he still wants to show him respect.

In this way, Moaphi uses the pressures within their home to explore what defines the relationship between fathers and son. Is the role of father something that’s simply bestowed upon one’s self after the birth of their child? Does that automatically make them worthy of our respect? Or does the role require more invested within the relationship between parent and child in order to truly mean something? The more secrets that are revealed, the more that Amir’s faith in his father’s judgment becomes frayed. And the more that he must decide what the value of true parentage requires.

To say more would be to give away too much but, needless to say, Moaphi has woven a tale that works on every level. Although the film is not based on his personal life, the writer/director has given this script such life that it never feels anything but true. And that makes it more important in the process.

His Father’s Son is available in theatres on Friday, June 20th, 2025.