Aferim!
Performance & Direction: Aferim! Review
Last updated: February 19, 2026
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is Aferim! (2015) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a HIT with a verified audience rating of 7.3/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Drama.
Cast Performances: A Masterclass
The success of any Drama is often anchored by its ensemble, and Aferim! features a noteworthy lineup led by Teodor Corban . Supported by the likes of Mihai Comanoiu and Toma Cuzin , the performances bring a palpable realism to the scripted words.
Performance Analysis: While the cast delivers competent and professional performances, they are occasionally hampered by a script that leans into familiar archetypes.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth Watching?
Story & Plot Summary: Aferim!
Quick Plot Summary: Released in 2015, Aferim! is a Drama, History film directed by Radu Jude. The narrative explores complex human emotions and relationships through detailed character development. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict involving Teodor Corban.
Ending Explained: Aferim!
Ending Breakdown: Directed by Radu Jude, Aferim! resolves its central conflict while maintaining thematic consistency. The finale has been praised for its approach to drama resolution.
The emotional climax centers on character transformation involving Teodor Corban, offering viewers material for post-viewing discussion.
Ending Analysis:
- Narrative Resolution: The story concludes with clear resolution of its central conflicts, providing closure while maintaining some ambiguity.
- Character Arcs: Main characters complete meaningful transformations, reflecting the film's thematic priorities.
- Thematic Payoff: The ending reinforces the drama themes established throughout the runtime.
The final moments of Aferim! reflect the filmmakers' creative choices, offering an ending that aligns with the film's tone and style.
Aferim! Real vs. Reel: Is it Based on a True Story?
Aferim! draws heavily from documented historical records. As a drama, history film directed by Radu Jude, it navigates the space between factual accuracy and narrative engagement for Teodor Corban's character.
Historical Context
The film balances historical fidelity with cinematic storytelling. Core events maintain connection to source material while adapting for theatrical presentation.
The production demonstrates respect for its source material, with attention to period detail and historical context.
Accuracy Assessment: Aferim! adapts its source material for dramatic purposes. The film prioritizes thematic resonance over documentary precision.
Who Should Watch Aferim!?
Worth Watching If You:
- Enjoy Drama films and don't mind familiar tropes
- Are a fan of Teodor Corban or the director
- Want a character-driven story with emotional moments
Box Office Collection: Aferim!
| Metric / Region | Collection (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Production Budget | $1.4M |
| Worldwide Gross | $105.1K |
| Trade Verdict | CLEAN HIT |
Aferim! Budget
The estimated production budget for Aferim! is $1.4M. This figure covers principal photography, talent acquisitions, and visual effects. When accounting for global marketing and distribution, the break-even point is typically 2x the base production cost.
Top Cast: Aferim!
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Fandango At HomeAferim! Parents Guide & Age Rating
2015 AdvisoryWondering about Aferim! age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of Aferim! is 108 minutes (1h 48m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 7.3/10, and global performance metrics, Aferim! is classified as a HIT. It remains an essential part of the 2015 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aferim! worth watching?
Aferim! is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Drama movies. It has a verified rating of 7.3/10 and stands as a HIT in our box office analysis.
Where can I find Aferim! parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for Aferim! identifies it as Not Rated. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of Aferim!?
The total duration of Aferim! is 108 minutes, which is approximately 1h 48m long.
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How Aferim! Compares & Where it Ranks
Critic Reviews for Aferim!
> Adventurous, funny, thrilling and shocking! The second movie for me from this director after a beautiful child custody dramedy, 'Everybody in Our Family'. This was totally different, a historical theme that takes place 200 years early to the present. This is a black and white flick that perfectly blends with the timeline of the narration. The Romania's submission for the 2016's Oscars. I have not seen all the foreign movie nominees, but having seen the out of the contest films like this and Brasil's 'The Second Mother', they are a lot better than the actually in the race film, 'A War'. Coming to this movie, I was almost certain that I wasn't going to write a review after knowing about it through the trailer and the synopsis despite good ratings and praised by the critics. Because I felt this must be a boring kind, so was thinking to get over with it. Like there's a saying, don't judge a book by its cover, it happened right here for me with this movie. So this is where I realised after the watch that the Academy Awards was totally wrong for snubbing it. In fact, this was one of the best foreign movies I have seen in the last six months or so. > "When a wise man opens his mouth, open your ear." They might have had a solid reason for that, that I don't know, but my guess is the film's ending. The opening was slow, the dialogues were loud, but sometime foolishly funny and sometimes wisely funny. Overall you must pay close attention, so that you can enjoy jokes. Definitely a wonderful adventure, like any other man hunt films, this was so serious on that affair, but viewers won't realise that till the final scene. A well supported music throughout to tell an incredible tale about two men on the mission who meet different people, land, culture and language. It is 1835, in the Eastern Europe region, Wallachia, the father-son duo from the police force on a trail to track down a runaway slave. They must go beyond their territorial limits to find him. On their way, they came forwards to the people they just met needed help, and vice versa, After the intense search they grab him in the remote place, but his version of the story to flee differs. So what comes later is the final act and a very shocking conclusion. > "Fear is shameful, but healthy. It's God's gift." Not so interested to very into it is something that I was not expected. The reason was obvious it was funnier than I thought. Besides that, I was uncomfortable with the slavery theme. It's turning me off from having a good time and beginning to concern. But that's how the old world was, as it was based on the old documents and texts of the real event. After that horrifying finale, the bold statement from the father to son that goes like this 'God, even looks after worms and we can't look after each other' is what made me think we had come a long way since, yet do everything has changed now? And you know the answer to that. It was not an unusual storyline, I have seen hundreds of other similar films, but it was from the different country, hence different language, culture, comedies, landscapes and different outcome result. Well, this film gets you at with the different moods at the different level of the narration. A fine merges of multiple genre, and yet delivers more than you anticipating. If you are wondering what is the meaning of the title, 'Well Done' or 'Bravo' is the English translation. Low budget movie? But, that's the reason this movie makes a very interesting. Because the 19th century tale and this film that kind feels like made in the early 30s (except the high framerate) pretty unlike to any modern black and white films. Definitely a must see if you're interested in this year's Oscar nominees for the best foreign movies, even though it did not make. 8½/10
When the Boyar (Alexandru Dabija) finds that one of his Gypsy serfs has done a bunk, he employs law keeper "Costandin" (Teodor Corban) to track him down. It seems that the fleeing "Carfin" (Toma Cuzin) had become just a little too friendly with his bosses wife, and so there's a price to be paid! Along the way, we are exposed to some of the vagaries of 19th century Romanian life - a largely peasant existence for most with it's roots steeped in a feudal hierarchy. It's quite an adventure the policeman and his son "Ionita" (Mihai Comanoiu) have as they encounter various communities and their traditions before apprehending and repatriating their quarry. The story itself has a certain inevitability to it, but I don't think that really matters. This is really a much more potent evaluation of a society governed by people who felt themselves worthy of a pat on the back for not whipping their "slaves". Their lordly kindness was seen in terms of them generously feeding and clothing their people as if they were mere chattels - and none more so than those from the Romany community. It's not without it's humour - there are some distinctly dark moments designed to effectively lighten the mood. Even with subtitles, this manages to convey enough of the potency of the dialogue for us to appreciate the evolution in character of "Costantin", his son and develop our own awareness of the established persecution that prevailed. It's an entertaining film, too, with plenty of action going on and it is well worth a watch.
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This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.










