Discover The Best Movies and TV Shows Like Taste of Cherry Right Now

In the sun-baked, dusty outskirts of Tehran, a middle-aged man named Mr. Badiei drives his Range Rover slowly through barren construction sites and dusty hills. His mind is made up: he intends to commit suicide, having already dug a shallow grave beneath a cherry tree. Overwhelmed by a quiet, desperate existential despair, Badiei’s primary dilemma is practical rather than philosophical—he needs someone to cover his body with earth the following morning to ensure the act is complete.Throughout the afternoon, Badiei approaches various marginalized men, hoping one will accept his morbid job offer in exchange for a generous sum of money. His first attempt is a young, timid Kurdish soldier patrolling the desolate area. Badiei invites him into the car, drives him around, and eventually reveals his intention, offering him a large wad of cash. Terrified, confused, and morally conflicted by Islamic prohibitions against suicide, the soldier panics, leaps from the moving vehicle, and flees into the distance.Undeterred, Badiei resumes his lonely search under the blistering sun. He next approaches a young Afghan seminary student. As they drive through the dusty terrain, Badiei explains his profound weariness of life. The seminary student listens attentively and attempts to dissuade him using religious and philosophical arguments, quoting texts that condemn taking one's own life. Despite the theological debate, Badiei remains resolute in his decision. Ultimately, the student declines the grim task, unwilling to be an accomplice to death, and steps out of the car.As daylight begins to fade, Badiei finally encounters a reluctant middle-aged taxidermist named Mr. Bagheri, who works at the local natural history museum. Bagheri initially rejects the plea outright, lecturing Badiei harshly about the beauty of life, the taste of sweet cherries, and the tragedy of throwing away God’s creation. He shares a personal anecdote of his own past suicide attempt, describing how tasting a sweet mulberry instantly changed his mind and pulled him back from the brink.Moved by the heartfelt plea, but desperate for the money to pay for his sick child’s medical treatment, Bagheri eventually agrees to meet him the next morning. That night, Badiei lies down in his newly dug grave during a fierce thunderstorm, waiting for the final moment. The film concludes ambiguously, shifting to behind-the-scenes video footage of the cast and crew, leaving the ultimate fate of Badiei open to the viewer's interpretation.