When Farzaneh (Taraneh Alidoosti) spots a man on a city bus who looks an awful lot like her husband, Jalal (Navid Mohammadzadeh), she follows him to an unfamiliar building. There, she sees the residents greet him as if they know him and watches from the street as he enters an apartment to meet with another woman.

Three months pregnant and barely present in her job as a driving instructor, Farzaneh is convinced she’s caught Jalal in an affair. When they discuss it, he’s adamant about his alibi, reminding her that he was miles away at the time. Farzaneh begins to fall apart, but she swears she saw him, and, unable to let go, she continues to pull on the thread before making an unsettling discovery about the man on the bus.

"A twist-laden doppelgänger thriller, following two warring families at opposite points on the class spectrum." (Cineuropa)

"Where “Subtraction” excels is in its subtext, which manifests in the subtle — and occasionally — brutal contrasts between the two households, particularly when it comes to gender roles and expectations." (Toronto Star)

"Tehran noir at its most exquisite; rust reds and ochres, sand and shadow, near constant rain. Cinematographer Morteza Najafi's moody hues provide the perfect backdrop for incredible performances..." (The Stranger)

"Less specifically, the film speaks to an almost otherworldly sensation of having to accept and live with something out of the ordinary—something that Iranians are more familiar with than most." (Chicago Reader)

Friday, July 28
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm *Start time subject to change. Please arrive on time.

SUBTRACTION (Mani Haghighi, 2023 / 107 mins / PG / Persian with English subtitles)Farzaneh spots her husband, Jalal, entering an unknown woman's house. When she confronts Jalal, he claims he wasn't in town. Jalal decides to check out the house for himself and meets a woman named Bita, who is the spitting image of Farzaneh.

*Minors OK. Must be 19+ w/ID for bar service.
*Rio Theatre Groupons and Rio Theatre passes are OK for any single film screening only. Please redeem at the box office.
*Online sales end an hour before showtime; unless otherwise noted, tickets are always available for purchase at the box office prior to showtime. Our box office is typically open 30 minutes before showtime. All seating is General Admission; please arrive 20-30 minutes prior to showtime to ensure great seats and time for treats. All Rio Theatre tickets are final sale.
*If you are looking to redeem either a Rio Theatre gift certificate or Groupon to any regular Rio Theatre screening: You can either email us in advance and give us a “heads up,” or do it at the box office prior to showtime. (We seat 400+ people and our regular screenings are very rarely at capacity – you should not have issues being admitted.)