Movies: Tennessine (2023) by Amin Palangi: Love, Secrets, and the Fragility of Belonging
- dailyentertainment95
- Aug 31
- 4 min read
A psychological romance built on hidden truthsTennessine is a 2023 Australian-Iranian drama directed by Amin Palangi and co-written with Osamah Sami. The story follows Arash (played by Sami), who arrives in Australia to reunite with the love of his life, Nazanin (Faezeh Alavi). Their reunion takes them to a cabin in the woods, where Arash slowly discovers that Nazanin is harboring painful secrets. This revelation propels him down a self-destructive path, testing the boundaries of love, trust, and identity. Co-starring Robert Rabiah, the film blends intimate drama with a tense, slow-burning psychological style. With a runtime of 85 minutes, Tennessine is Palangi’s first narrative feature after his acclaimed documentary Love Marriage in Kabul.
Why to Recommend Movie — A Slow-Burning Love Story with Depth
Emotion wrapped in mystery: The narrative unfolds like a puzzle, where passion collides with secrecy.Viewers are drawn in by the love story but left questioning how much of love survives when truths are withheld. The atmosphere is intimate yet unsettling, making the journey unpredictable.
Cross-cultural resonance: By focusing on Iranian characters in an Australian setting, the film captures the displacement and negotiation of identity many immigrants experience.This gives the romance weight beyond its personal story, making it culturally and socially relevant.
A confident debut: Palangi demonstrates strong control of tone and pacing for his first feature film.The deliberate slow burn keeps audiences on edge while allowing the emotional intensity to grow organically, signaling the arrival of a distinctive voice in cinema.
Where to watch: https://www.justwatch.com/au/movie/tennessine (Australia)
Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14438380/
About movie: https://www.aminpalangi.com/project/tennessine/
What is the Trend Followed? — Psychological Drama in Diaspora Romance
Tennessine fits into a growing trend of films where personal relationships reflect larger struggles of migration, belonging, and identity.
Romance as psychological mirror: Love is not portrayed as idyllic but as fragile, complicated, and often destructive.
This approach grounds the story in realism while keeping audiences emotionally invested.
Diasporic perspectives in cinema: By placing Iranian characters in Australia, the film speaks to broader themes of displacement.
These stories resonate globally, as many viewers identify with the search for belonging in unfamiliar environments.
Thriller undertones in drama: The cabin setting and secrets give the romance a psychological thriller feel.
This blending of genres reflects a contemporary move toward hybrid storytelling that feels both intimate and suspenseful.
Director’s Vision — Love in the Shadow of Secrets
Personal storytelling: Palangi focuses on Iranian-Australian characters, adding authenticity to the narrative.
His cultural perspective enriches the emotional stakes of the film, grounding it in lived experience.
Minimalism as strength: The story is confined, tense, and atmospheric, letting emotions and performances carry the weight.
Instead of spectacle, he builds drama from silence, hesitation, and the unspoken.
Science as subtle metaphor: Tennessine, the unstable element, becomes a symbolic frame for the relationship.
Just like the element, their love is powerful yet fragile, unable to remain stable under pressure.
Themes — Secrets, Displacement, and Fragility
The instability of love: Like the element Tennessine, the couple’s bond is unstable, highlighting how even strong connections can collapse.
Displacement and identity: The cross-cultural context emphasizes the tension of living between worlds, reflecting broader migrant experiences.
Secrets as destruction: Hidden truths don’t just strain relationships—they unravel them, exposing vulnerabilities that can’t be ignored.
Love and self-destruction: Arash’s journey shows how devotion can spiral into loss and despair when confronted with betrayal.
Key Success Factors — Atmosphere and Authenticity
Powerful performances: Osamah Sami and Faezeh Alavi deliver raw, emotional portrayals that carry the film’s intimacy and intensity.
Strong debut direction: Palangi’s assured handling of pacing and tone gives the film maturity beyond a first feature.
Evocative cinematography: Daniel Hartley-Allen’s work captures the tension of confined spaces and the beauty of the Australian landscape, enhancing the story’s duality of love and danger.
Poetic writing: Sami’s words and Palangi’s direction merge to create dialogue that feels lyrical yet grounded.
Awards & Nominations — Festival Recognition
Tennessine received recognition on the festival circuit and earned one nomination in its early run. Though modest in scope, its reception affirmed Palangi’s promise as a narrative filmmaker after his award-winning documentary career.
Critics Reception — Divided but Engaged
Some critics praised the film’s slow-burning tension, poetic writing, and cultural authenticity.
They highlighted its strong performances and evocative use of setting, calling it a confident debut.
Others criticized its pacing, describing it as overly slow and lacking in narrative payoff.
For some, the ambiguity and minimal conflict felt unsatisfying, showing the film’s style may not suit all audiences.
Summary: Critics are divided, but even detractors acknowledge the film’s striking atmosphere and ambition. Supporters see it as a poetic, culturally significant drama, while others find it slow and meandering.
Reviews — From Praise to Frustration
Positive reviews describe it as beautiful, tense, and relevant, with stunning performances and immersive atmosphere.
These reviewers saw it as a rare, poetic exploration of displacement and intimacy, carried by a strong debut voice.
Negative reviews called it boring, pretentious, and underwritten, arguing the story lacked compelling development.
Yet even these criticisms admitted the film was visually striking and well-acted, just not narratively satisfying.
Summary: Reviews confirm Tennessine is polarizing—some find it profound, others frustrating—but few deny its ambition and style.
Movie Trend — Romance as Fragile Psychological Space
The film reflects a trend where love stories are infused with thriller-like tension and psychological realism, moving away from idealized romance toward fragile, ambiguous portrayals of relationships.
Social Trend — Migration and Emotional Displacement
It echoes real-world experiences of migrants and diaspora communities, highlighting how identity, culture, and displacement shape personal relationships. The film uses intimacy as a way to explore larger social questions.
Final Verdict — A Polarizing but Poetic Debut
Tennessine is an ambitious first feature that dares to explore love, secrecy, and displacement with poetic sensitivity. While its slow pace and ambiguity divide audiences, it stands out for its authenticity, atmosphere, and emotional ambition. Amin Palangi emerges as a distinctive filmmaker with a voice that bridges cultures, making Tennessine a film that lingers—whether in admiration or frustration—long after it ends.