House of Sand and Fog

House of Sand and Fog (2003)

  • 75% of critics liked it
    (169 reviews)

  • 80% of users liked it
    (40,824 ratings)

Russian filmmaker Vadim Perelman makes his feature-film debut with the psychological drama House of Sand and Fog, based on the novel by Andre Dubus III. Ben Kingsley plays Massoud Amir Behrani, an Iranian immigrant living the United States. Even though he was a high-ranking official in Iran, he… More

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R, 2 hr. 6 min.
Directed By
Vadim Perelman
Written By
Vadim Perelman, Shawn Otto
Genres
Drama
In Theaters
Dec 19, 2003 Wide
On DVD
Mar 30, 2004
Dreamworks Distribution LLC

Critic Reviews

  • Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune

    You feel you not only know these people but where they come from.

  • Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com

    If this movie isn't quite the contempo-Greek tragedy it wants to be, it's still a powerful, almost unforgettable meditation on fate, cultural collision and the morality of renovating a house that isn't really yours.

  • Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

    Meticulously acted and unafraid of a difficult subject, House of Sand and Fog resonates with a quality that can be vital to art -- a lack of moral rectitude.

  • Desson Thomson, Washington Post

    The movie's intense watchability can be traced directly to superb performances by Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley.

  • Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

    House of Sand and Fog doesn't deliver on the gut level of contest, and neither does it offer any other terms in which it does deliver for the audience.

Read all 14 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Lewis C


    "I have taken us so far off our course, but now it is time to return. It is time for us to go home to our destiny." There are no good or bad characters in House of Sand and Fog. Just a lot of flawed individuals who seem to unintentionally make matters worse at every turn.… More

  • Dan S


    An extremely powerful film. Kingsley gives a performance that should be up with the bests of all-time, where Connelly, strikingly beautiful, gives an Oscar-worth one as well. A deep story that is rich in characterization as well as with things such as material possessions and how much… More

  • Mike S


    Solemn and well-directed drama, about a family who gets in bitter conflict with the previous owner of their newly bought house. The first half is pretty slow, but it builds up tension well for what happens in the second, where things really shift into high gear. One thing I really… More

  • Fernando Rafael Q


    Powerful and very sad, HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG is a tragic film, brilliantly directed by Vadim Perelman, in his debut. Both Jennifer Connelly and Ben Kingsley are amazing in their performances. Sir Ben would've been flawless if it wasn't for the whole hospital moment, which I… More

  • Curtis L


    Yikes...very driving story of bad situations gone worse. Compelling from start to finish. Not to mention Jennifer Connelly is impossibly hot in it.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

Cast

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Trailers & Clips

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