Disobedience

Ronit, a photographer from New York, travels back to London after learning of her father's death, returning to the insular Orthodox community she left years earlier. The place holds memories of a forbidden closeness with Esti, a friend from childhood. The unexpected reunion rekindles a potent attraction that unsettles the quiet routines of the close-knit world. As Ronit and Esti reconnect, the film examines how piety and tradition shape desire and guilt without rushing to easy answers. The story centers on the friction between communal loyalty and personal longing, inviting viewers to weigh what love asks of faith and belonging. The tone is restrained, letting silences speak as life in the city and its religious rhythms press on the characters.

Directed by Sebastián Lelio, Disobedience adapts Naomi Alderman's novel with a steady, restrained eye. The film stars Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams and Alessandro Nivola, and the screenplay is by Lelio and Rebecca Lenkiewicz. It opened in theaters in 2018 after festival play.

Box office: It grossed about 8 million dollars worldwide on a 6 million dollar budget, a modest but solid return for a character driven drama that found traction in art-house cinemas and among festival viewers.

Cultural impact: The film sparked conversations about sexuality within tightly knit religious communities, with the performances by Weisz and McAdams praised for honesty and nuance. It offers a rare look at desire within a strict faith milieu, prompting audiences to consider the cost of belonging. The careful portrayal invites viewers to reexamine assumptions about love and duty in intimate communities.

Reception & themes: Critics welcomed Lelio's restrained direction and the two leads, praising the nuanced treatment of faith, family obligation, and the pull between tradition and personal truth. It avoids easy answers and invites careful reflection on love, loyalty, and belonging. The film ends as a sharp reminder that belonging may require telling the truth about who you are.