‘All That’s Left of You’ Movie Review [Sundance 2025]: A Shattering, Yet Beautiful Ode To Family And Survival

Photo from Sundance Film Festival

From Jeff Nelson

Some stories can’t be told in a single lifetime. Cherien Dabis’ All That’s Left of You is one of them, bottling an expansive conflict into a single Palestinian family’s multi-generational trauma. Each perspective shift builds on the last until it concocts a tapestry of inherited suffering, anger, responsibility, and perseverance. It’s a superbly crafted epic that leaves the soul feeling all the richer for having experienced it.

1988, West Bank. Teenaged Noor (Muhammad Abed Elrahman) suffers a brutal injury at a protest against Israel’s occupation. His mother, Hanan (Dabis), recounts what led him to this position tracking back to his grandparents’ (Adam Bakri, Maria Zreik) forced displacement.

All That’s Left of You presents a visual representation of Hanan’s oral storytelling, although the context for the tale isn’t revealed until later. She beckons back to 1947 Jaffa, Palestine, where Noor’s grandparents lived. Their happy family life is destroyed when the locals are forced to flee their homeland. Noor’s grandfather, Sharif, tries to shield his wife and children from bombs that come in the form of devastating news and physical explosions getting dangerously close to home. Grandmother Munira bolts with their children, including Noor’s father, Salim, while the patriarch remains in place to secure their residence. The suffering he endures in the name of his land changes him forever.

Thirty years later, Salim (Saleh Bakri) is now an adult with a family of his own. Sharif is steadfast in his Palestinian pride, firm in his belief that the Israel Defence Force (IDF) won’t stop their assault until all of the land is claimed as their own. To him, Jaffa will always be home. However, Salim is quicker to move on from the place he hasn’t seen since childhood, desperate to provide a normal and joyful life for Hanan and his children. Noor has an unbreakable bond with his grandfather, from whom he inherited the same fervor for returning to Jaffa. Salim’s attempts to quietly assimilate into this life cause a devastating fracture to the family dynamic that ripples through all three generations.

Dabis handles each of her perspective characters with such care that it’s impossible not to grow deeply invested in this family’s personal, social, and cultural hardships. Some of the family’s supporting characters, including siblings from all three generations, are rendered nearly invisible, but it’s worth forgiving when there is such impressive depth elsewhere. Salim and Hanan’s dynamic is so deeply felt that their revelations (big and small) are enough to reduce one to a puddle of tears. 

Beyond the well-written dialogue in the script, All That’s Left of You finds its secret power in the performances. This is a phenomenal ensemble that delivers from one generation to the next. However, there’s no hiding Dabis and Bakri as the heart that pumps the movie with such sincerity. Dabis commands the screen with empathy reading through her line delivery to her expressive eyes. Bakri is a revelation, effortlessly balancing quiet introspection with powerful dramatic moments.

Every so often, a movie comes along that shatters your heart while trying ever so delicately to piece it back together. All That’s Left of You is one such film. It captures the pain felt by generations of people, balanced with the beauty of familial love. This lengthy epic hits some pacing snags along the way, but it earns every minute of its runtime. Dabis accomplishes an impressive feat both in front of and behind the camera, handling a multi-generational story with care. What we’re left with is distinguished storytelling that feels timeless.

Rating: 4.5/5

All That’s Left of You played Sundance 2025 on January 28th, 2025.

Follow Jeff