Four Lions
Directed by Chris Morris
Distributed by Drafthouse Films

Although passing itself off as a jihadist comedy, Four Lions has much more depth than your typical  “Achmed the Dead Terrorist” stand-up routine.

Directed by satirist Chris Morris, the film follows a group of four Muslim men in England who are planning a terrorist attack.

The film opens with one of the four, Waj, sitting in front of a video camera, holding a replica AK 47. His leader, Omar, is also present and begins proclaiming that “superficial materialism ends at the capitalist Church of McDonald’s.”

Waj replies, “Flippin’ idiots,” because the individuals the video is targeting should have stuck to Chicken Halal instead of Chicken McNuggets.  

When the group’s car breaks down later, Barry, a Caucasian who has converted to Islam, blames the incident on the Jews, who he says invented spark plugs to “control traffic.”

It’s these kind of statements that are not only laugh-out-loud funny, but also serve as a critique of Islamic fundamentalism.

As much as Morris provides comic relief, there are also more serious moments. Unfortunately, they almost always give way to comedy.

This is evident in Omar’s relationship with his wife, Sofia, and his brother, Ahmed. While Sofia supports Omar’s plot, his brother, is very religious and doesn’t believe violence is ever the answer.   

When Omar begins to question his own plan, a very poignant moment occurs between the two where they exchange glances in an open field. But soon after, it’s back to comedy.

Perhaps that’s ok. The goal of the film seems to be clear: analyzing society through laughter, not playing up the drama.

An example of this is the group’s inconsistent critique of Western imperialism. One minute the four are preparing for their “holy” mission, the next minute they’re singing along to a cover of  “Dancing in the Moonlight.” The irony is obvious and hilarious.

But this is a minor critique in an otherwise enjoyable film – it’s almost impossible not to laugh at the idiocy of the characters. Still, I wonder if it could have been more successful with a slightly more serious tone.

Ultimately, my conclusion on Four Lions and its message are similar to Waj’s: “I think I might be confused, but I’m not sure.”

But that’s okay, because if this movie tells us anything, it’s that life isn’t supposed to be simple.