IMDb 7.6 2022 HD

Joyland

Joyland

2022
Drama Romance
127 min NR PK
7.35 / 10
7.6 IMDB

As a patriarchal family yearns for the birth of a son to continue their family line, their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theatre and falls for…

Personnel // Cast & Crew

Director Saim Sadiq / Sana Jafri / Hyra Basit / Qasim Abbas / Tashish Habib / Tabish Habib
Starring
Ali Junejo / Rasti Farooq / Alina Khan / Sarwat Gilani / Salmaan Peerzada / Sohail Sameer / Sania Saeed / Ramiz Law

How Viewers Describe This Film

Common themes and sentiments

sensitive poignant compelling emotional nuanced thought-provoking quiet hopeful challenging intimate authentic

Reviews

C
Chloe Davies
Mar 28, 2026
4.5 / 5
4.5

Joyland is a remarkable achievement, a film that tackles complex themes with an extraordinary degree of empathy and artistry. The narrative, revolving around a family’s dynastic ambitions and a son’s secret romance with a transgender starlet, is handled…

J
Julian Croft
Mar 28, 2026
4.0 / 5
4.0

A sensitive and finely wrought drama, Joyland offers a deeply human story against a backdrop of familial obligation. The film’s strength lies in its quiet observation of its characters, allowing their internal lives to speak volumes. Ali Junejo’s…

S
Seraphina Hayes
Mar 28, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

Joyland presents a compelling, if at times understated, exploration of societal pressures and hidden desires. The central premise, a family’s obsession with a male heir clashing with a son’s secret life, is fertile ground for drama. Ali Junejo’s…

M
Marcus Bellweather
Mar 28, 2026
4.0 / 5
4.0

This Pakistani gem offers a poignant look at family, duty, and the pursuit of personal truth. Joyland’s narrative, driven by the longing for a male heir, sets the stage for a deeply personal journey of self-discovery for its…

E
Eleanor Vance
Mar 28, 2026
4.5 / 5
4.5

Joyland arrives as a breath of fresh, albeit complex, air. The film masterfully balances the suffocating weight of patriarchal expectation with the tender bloom of a forbidden love. Ali Junejo delivers a performance of quiet desperation and burgeoning…

FAQs

The youngest son's secret participation in the erotic dance theatre and his subsequent fall for its transgender starlet is the narrative engine of Joyland. This clandestine life directly challenges the patriarchal expectations of his family, who are solely focused on a male heir. His secret represents a pursuit of personal happiness and identity that stands in stark opposition to the duty and lineage his family demands.