Profile Movie Storyline. Amy (Northern Irish actress Valene Kane), an ambitious freelance television reporter, sets up a fake Facebook profile, posing as a new convert to Islam in order to investigate the recruiting and trafficking of young women as ISIS brides. But the rapport she develops with Bilel (Shazad Latif), a dashing Isis recruiter with a penchant for kalashnikovs and cutesy cat gifs, blurs the line between investigative journalism and real life.
Profile is a 2018 computer screen thriller film directed by Timur Bekmambetov, from a screenplay by Bekmambetov, Britt Poulton, and Olga Kharina, based upon the non-fiction book In The Skin of a Jihadist by Anna Erelle. It stars Valene Kane, Shazad Latif, Christine Adams, Amir Rahimzadeh and Morgan Watkins.
The film had its world premiere at the 68th Berlin International Film Festival on February 17, 2018, in the Panorama section. It was released in the United States on May 14, 2021, by Focus Features, and received mixed reviews from critics.
The film is based on French journalist Anna Erelle’s book In the Skin of a Jihadist about her investigation into the recruitment of young women by ISIS. The film had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival on February 17, 2018. It also screened at South by Southwest on March 11, 2018. In March 2021, Focus Features acquired distribution rights to the film, and set it for a May 14, 2021, release.
In the United States, Profile was released alongside Spiral, Those Who Wish Me Dead, and Finding You, and grossed $260,000 from 2,033 theaters on its first day of release. It went on to debut to $730,290, finishing ninth at the box office.
Film Review for Profile
Like Search, which premiered in Sundance and was produced by Profile director Timur Bekmambetov, the story is told entirely on a computer screen, through skype, social media and editing programs. And despite the restrictions of this device, the film crackles with tension. However, the romantic charge in this ’skyping with the enemy scenario’ is not entirely credible – although the film is based on the book ’In The Skin Of A Jihadist’ by French reporter Anna Erelle, this element of the story is fictional.
The formal novelty, plus the newsworthy subject matter should attract both buyers and audiences to this timely thriller from Timur Bekmambetov. And while the device of letting the story play out on a computer screen would seem to make it uniquely suited to distribution through streaming platforms, it could also work theatrically. The distinctive approach to the storytelling means that the film is rather more effective at exploring the dark side of the digital world than previous attempts, such as Nerve and Chatroom, which have failed to connect with audiences.
With the rent overdue on her East London flat, and her ballbusting producer barking for content, Amy takes a risk. Search engine windows flash up cautionary tales of young girls sold as ISIS sex slaves, and murdered for attempting to return home from Syria. But with emails from her landlord hectoring from her inbox, and her boyfriend Matt (Morgan Watkins) suggesting that they downgrade their expectations of the flat they plan to share together, Amy creates an alternate identity; Melody Nelson, nineteen-year-old convert to Islam.
Attracting the interest of an ISIS recruiter is unnervingly easy. A few reweeted beheading videos – a fortuitous skype call obscures the actual execution – and Bilel pops up in Facebook messenger, deploying emojis and promises of a better life with him in Syria. Soon Amy is juggling identities and skype conversations with Bilel, while fielding video calls from a producer who is salivating over the story, a boyfriend unilaterally planning their future and her boozy best friend. Crucial to her survival in this hostile online territory is the IT support worker, Lou (Amir Rahimzadeh), himself of Syrian extraction.
The fascination that Bilel soon exerts over Melody/Amy is tricky to reconcile with the sophisticated, ambitious young woman we meet at the film’s opening. Yes, he’s dangerously charismatic, but it’s hard to believe that anyone but the most credulous teenager would have their head turned by his phone footage love letters and juvenile gifs. Amy’s professional ambition is the more credible explanation for the lengths to which she goes to snare Bilel.
Music comes from iTunes and Spotify on shuffle – Serge Gainsbourg’s ’Ballade de Melody Nelson’ gives Amy a name for her alter ego. Occasional moments of humour come from her frantic googling: “Is skype marriage legal?” she types. And given that many of the unpolished images we see are captured on phones or webcams, it is not as unpleasant to watch as might be expected.
Profile (2021)
Directed by: Timur Bekmambetov
Starring: Valene Kane, Shazad Latif, Christine Adams, Therica Wilson-Read, Irina Klimovich, Amir Rahimzadeh, Morgan Watkins, Emma Cater, Marie Hamilton, Hollie Burgess
Screenplay by: Timur Bekmambetov, Britt Poulton, Olga Kharina
Production Design by: Ben Smith
Film Editing by: Andrey Shugaev
Costume Design by: Varvara Avdyushko
Makeup Department: Jody Williams
Music by: Andy Ross
MPAA Rating: R for language throughout and some disturbing images.
Distributed by: Focus Features
Release Date: February 17, 2018 (Berlin), May 14, 2021 (United States)
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