Rule Breakers (Christian Movie Review)
Verdict: Part inspirational underdog drama, part female empowerment advocacy film, Rule Breakers doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it tells a meaningful story that is brought to life with plenty of heart and earnestness.
About the Film
“Nothing ever happened unless someone dreamed it first.” Based on true events, Angel Studios’ latest film tells the story of how a visionary woman empowered a team of young Afghan girls to defy oppressive cultural expectations. Part inspirational underdog drama, part female empowerment advocacy film, Rule Breakers doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it tells a meaningful story that is brought to life with plenty of heart and earnestness.
Set in the recent past of Afghanistan, the film follows Roya Mahboob, a passionate advocate for women’s education in a nation that prohibits it. “Girls are not free in life, but we are in this,” she declares to a classroom of young girls, showing them a computer. In a world of closed doors and restrictions, technology promises a brighter future. To that end, Mahboob assembles the Afghan Dreamers, a robotics team of brilliant young women who aspire not just to win international robotics competitions but to show the world the untapped potential of Afghan girls.
While the young characters defy expectations with remarkable courage, Rule Breakers itself unfolds as a conventional underdog drama. Yet a lack of surprises is not necessarily a bad thing in a genre that thrives on feel-good vibes rather than shocking twists and turns. While the film may be mostly predictable, it hits all the expected beats well, and the story is engaging from start to finish. Setting the narrative in the relatively unfamiliar world of robotics makes the story interesting, and the cultural backdrop raises the stakes much higher than merely winning or losing a contest.
At its core, Rule Breakers isn’t really about robotics; it’s about people. Actress Nikohl Boosheri gives a captivating performance as Roya. The film’s first act focuses on her journey. As the story progresses, she fades into the background, passing the torch to younger characters in a way that beautifully embodies the film’s overarching themes. The four young actresses who form the robotics team are equally great, balancing wide-eyed wonder and vulnerability with quiet strength and determination.
Valid or not, a frequent criticism of female empowerment stories is Hollywood’s tendency to reduce its female characters to so-called “girl bosses,” placing near-perfect heroines on a lofty pedestal from which they look down with unconcealed distain on men. Rule Breakers doesn’t fit that mold. The women are brilliant, sympathetic characters, but they are also young, confused, and overwhelmed by the flood of new experiences. They stumble over their words and are crippled by doubt and insecurity in a way that allows their imperfect humanity to shine through.
The cast is excellent, but the film doesn’t always utilize them to their fullest potential. At times, it focuses more on what the characters represent than on how they are navigating the events as unique individuals. The film is at its best when it highlights the girls’ internal conflicts, such as when they sneak out to visit a dance club (and experience a jarring clash of cultures) or when one of the girls wrestles with shame after shaking a boy’s hand.
Angel Studios has earned a reputation for being a hub of quality “faith-based” films in recent years. To my knowledge, Rule Breakers is one of the studio’s first projects to venture outside of the Christian sub-genre to tell a story of another religious faith. As Afghans, the characters are Muslim, and they are shown voicing prayers to Allah in several scenes. The religious aspects are part of the girls’ characterization and not used to proselytize (the film certainly doesn’t affirm everything about Muslim teaching and culture). Nevertheless, Christian viewers looking only for cinema that reflects their own religious beliefs won’t find it here. Yet consistent with the film’s theme of boundary breaking and acceptance, there is a shared humanity and a timely message that viewers of all faiths can appreciate.
Overall, Rule Breakers is a delightful story that inspires and challenges in equal measure. As a film, Rule Breakers may not break the mold in any significant way. But its story showcases courageous characters who did. Hopefully, it will inspire viewers to follow their lead.
For Consideration
On the Surface—(Profanity, Sexual content, violence, etc.).
Language: There are several uses of God’s name (“thank God,” “God, I was so intimidated,” etc.).
Violence: A terrorist fires at a car with a gun, but nobody is hit. A car bomb explosion results in a death, but the character’s body is not shown.
Sexuality: None.
Engage The Film
Advocacy and Cultural Change
Roya Mahboob passionately fights for women’s freedom and education. On a broader level, Rule Breakers is about fighting for a better world. In an early scene, Roya attempts to convince a young girl’s dad to allow her to join the robotics team. He answers, “If the world was a different place, I would say yes.” Roya counters, “How will the world ever change unless men like you start saying yes? […] I am the daughter of 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.” According to Roya, people must either accept the status quo or join a movement that will bring about positive change.
Throughout the film, Roya struggles with the burden of her mission and the seemingly impossible task of changing the course of her nation. Bemoaning that she can only invest in a limited number of girls, she despairs that it is “a drop in the ocean. It’s not changing anything.” Another character wisely reminds her, “It’s changing things for those girls.” Cultural change doesn’t happen overnight or in the absence of great sacrifice. But it must start somewhere. While no one person can change the world, each of us can make a world of difference to those around us.
