IMDb 6.5 1991 HD

Not Without My Daughter

Not Without My Daughter

1991
Drama Thriller
116 min PG-13 USA
6.672 / 10
6.5 IMDB

An American woman, trapped in Islamic Iran by her brutish husband, must find a way to escape with her daughter as well.

Personnel // Cast & Crew

Director Brian Gilbert
Starring
Sally Field / Alfred Molina / Sheila Rosenthal / Roshan Seth / Sarah Badel / Mony-Rey / Georges Corraface / Mary Nell Santacroce

How Viewers Describe This Film

Common themes and sentiments

harrowing intense gripping disturbing emotional tense powerful frustrating dramatic resilient survival

Reviews

C
Clara Bellweather
May 18, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

The sheer grit of Sally Field’s performance is what elevates 'Not Without My Daughter' beyond its more conventional thriller elements. She embodies the terror and resilience of a woman caught in an impossible situation, her maternal instinct a…

A
Arthur Pendelton
May 18, 2026
2.5 / 5
2.5

While undeniably based on a harrowing true account, 'Not Without My Daughter' struggles to transcend its sensationalist tendencies. Sally Field gives her all to the role of a woman fighting for her life and her child's, but the…

G
Genevieve Dubois
May 18, 2026
4.0 / 5
4.0

'Not Without My Daughter' is a stark and often terrifying journey into the heart of a cultural and personal nightmare. Sally Field is exceptional, her performance radiating a mother's fierce protectiveness and a woman's desperate longing for freedom.…

M
Marcus Thorne
May 18, 2026
3.0 / 5
3.0

This is a film that wears its heart on its sleeve, and sometimes its message feels a touch too explicit. 'Not Without My Daughter' is undoubtedly a powerful story of survival, anchored by a committed performance from Sally…

E
Eleanor Vance
May 18, 2026
3.5 / 5
3.5

Sally Field delivers a raw, compelling performance as a woman pushed to her absolute limits in 'Not Without My Daughter'. The film, directed with a palpable sense of urgency, charts her harrowing escape from a suffocating marital and…

FAQs

The daughter, Mahtob, is central to the narrative's emotional core. Her well-being and safety are the primary motivators for Betty's desperate actions. The film highlights the innocence caught in the crossfire of cultural conflict and marital breakdown. Mahtob's presence amplifies the stakes for Betty, transforming the story from a personal escape into a fight for a child's future.