Variety Reviews *Safe Exit*, Mohammed Hammad's Second Feature

Variety has published a review of Safe Exit, the second feature film from Egyptian director Mohammed Hammad. The review went up on 23 October 2026, as the film is being tracked on the festival circuit.

Hammad's first feature was Withered Green, released in 2016. Safe Exit premiered in the Panorama section of the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival, the Berlinale, which uses the section to show a mix of new films alongside its main competition. The festival's official programme lists the film under that section.

The story follows Samaan, a young Egyptian security guard. According to the Berlinale's programme notes, he belongs to a generation whose parents were murdered in religious violence. Variety described the film as a psychological thriller when it was covered at the Berlinale in January, while ScreenDaily called it a muted drama with a spare style.

Another character, Fatimah, also appears in the story. In an interview with Variety this month, Hammad talked about staying true to his own vision while making the film. The interview did not reach a new release date or distributor, and none has been announced in the coverage so far.

Variety has also placed Safe Exit on its list of 10 titles to track at the El Gouna Film Festival 2026, the Red Sea festival held in Egypt. In that preview, Variety wrote that the film explores faith and isolation. Those two themes sit at the centre of the story: a man who has lost much of his family, working a job built around watching who comes and goes.

For festival programmers and sales agents, a film in this position is usually one to watch rather than a finished deal. Films shown at Berlin, then El Gouna, often travel to other festivals before a distributor commits to cinemas or streaming.

For now, the news is simple. A new review is out, a director's second film is being talked about in the festival press, and the film's themes are getting a closer look ahead of the next round of screenings.