The Light Thief is a psychological thriller written and directed by Eva Daoud based on a universally relatable subject and compelling execution. The highlight of the movie is its strong technical execution and an interesting storyline. The premise of the movie is set up in the city of Madrid. It is a story of Soleen’s perseverance and a supernatural phenomenon. Adham and Soleen are the central characters of the film. Soleen and Adham have contrasting personalities. Soleen is in a traumatic state and is completely devastated as she has lost something precious. Only Adham can help her unfolding the answers to her quest.  Will she succeed in her continuous search and how Adham is related to her?   Is there anything bigger Adam is hiding which she is not aware of? A Light Thief answers all these questions. Besides, the film has an interesting climax which elevates its underlying dark theme and leaves room for a sequel.

Director/Writer Eva Daoud has used a symbolic style to convey characters, location, and story set up. She has handled film’s dramatic and artistic aspects well. A concept like The Light Thief requires a broader vision and comprehensive planning to tell the story successfully. Director has paid attention to all aspects covering art direction, character representation, editing, visual effects, and background score. She has been able to tell the story impactfully using an aesthetic vision.

The Metaphoric and symbolic representation of the characters and the premise makes the film engaging and visual storytelling interesting. In film narration, visuals can occasionally be expressed better in an abstract manner than using words. All characters have done justice to their parts. While watching one feels, some more development of Adham and Soleen’s storyline and interactions could have added additional depth to the characters as well as emotional impact. 

Both the lead actors have played the characters of Adham and Soleen convincingly and they hold the viewer captive. Adham and Soleen’s character becomes intense as the movie progresses and their best scenes are towards the climax. Lead actor Angel de Miguel has played the complexities of Adham’s character compellingly whether it is his elegance or dark side. Equally, Maria Pedroviejo has justified the emotional nuances of Soleen’s character. Other actors have also played their part well. Julia Fournier’s character stands out besides the lead pair. She has played the vulnerabilities of Sara beautifully. She has a good screen presence.

Coming to the visual technical aspects of the light thief, shot composition, lighting and camera movement has played a vital role in successfully revealing the character’s behaviour and their emotional state. Opening lighting scene has been presented beautifully and it sets the premise of a psychological, supernatural thriller setup. Some of the highlighted scenes which create a strong impact on the viewer are opening the introduction of Madrid, indoor scenes, and climax scenes which strongly represent the tone and artistic language of the film. Besides, strong visual effects help to make The Light Thief stand out and add required thrill to the storytelling. The visual highlight of this film is the light scene which has been created beautifully and meaningfully. Cinematography has played an important role in this supernatural film to create a stylized world of mystery elements.

The background music of The Light Thief is intense. The film uses orchestral and choral music which plays a prominent role to portray the mystery theme of the film musically. Background score blends perfectly into the film and shapes up the emotional, dark, and supernatural genre. It adds the required rhythm to the scenes and conveys Adham and Soleen’s state of mind by creating an engaging atmosphere. Introduction and climax background notes are the highlight of the film.

Film’s story moves at an adequate pace. Editing of the film helps in the successful portrayal of the storyline. It does justice to the scale of this film by making the viewer connect to the story from the opening scene until the climax. The film stays on track and each scene helps to take the story forward without losing the interest and rhythm.

To conclude, The Light Thief is a story of resilience. Any broken heart can relate to this film. What makes it different from other love stories is its innovative execution and narrative. It presents an adequate balance of emotional and supernatural feel. The movie has a strong aesthetic presentation and symbolic execution style which adds freshness to the plot. This is evident in the way characters have been named. Adham – in the Arabic Language – means absolute darkness, and Soleen in the Syriac Language means the Sun. The high-quality visual effects and the strong orchestral background score elevates the production quality and emotional subject of the film. 

Overall, The Light Thief is a well-made film with the elements of a dark psychological, supernatural theme. Its inspiring story and fresh treatment make it a must-watch.