Hush! Girls Don’t Scream

Shirin is arrested for murdering the janitor on her wedding night, with investigators convinced the janitor was blackmailing her. She refuses to speak, leaving the truth of her guilt and motive shrouded in silence. The arrest sets up the central mystery of the film.

A detective informs Shirin's fiancé that she had canceled marriages with two other men previously, a detail that has been kept hidden from public view. The revelation adds a layer of secrets and threatens to destabilize the already fragile narrative. It intensifies the scrutiny on Shirin's motives.

The fiancé's father presses him to forget Shirin, fueling pressure from the family to move on. The social stigma surrounding the case weighs on everyone involved. The scene emphasizes the conflict between duty, reputation, and personal attachment.

Shirin's parents hire the renowned lawyer Merila Zare'i. She visits Shirin in detention and manages to elic it her first words since the arrest. The visit marks a turning point in the defense's understanding of Shirin's side of the story.

Merila learns from Shirin's mother that unlike her two earlier marriages, Shirin chose this partner herself, signaling a lasting bond of love. The family frames the union as genuine, shaping how motive and loyalties are interpreted. This detail shifts the lens on Shirin's actions.

The lawyer meets the fiancé, who agrees to help. He visits Shirin and asks her to explain her motive, a question that begins to peel back layers of fear, loyalty, and love. This exchange marks a move from accusation to structured inquiry.

The narrative shifts to Shirin's childhood: her parents left her with an assistant named Morad, who abused her and took photographs. The memory explains the long-term trauma that shapes her decisions. Police later uncover this dark history as part of the case.

Morad is arrested, initially denying the abuse. When further photographs surface, he is interrogated and confesses to dozens of abuses. He is sentenced to death for his crimes, sealing a major piece of the backstory.

Back in the courtroom, Shirin explains that she witnessed the janitor abusing a neighbor’s daughter and decides to act. She frees the girl and confronts the abuser, reframing the killing as a defense against ongoing harm. The moment reframes the moral stakes of the case.

The detective and the lawyer try to debrief the abused girl and her parents, but they refuse to testify to protect the family's reputation. This illustrates the social constraints that impede justice. The defense must seek other paths to prove responsibility and intent.

A psychologist is brought in who argues that childhood trauma can influence a person’s mental state and behavior. The court does not accept this explanation as sufficient justification for the killing. The scene tests the boundaries between empathy and legal guilt.

The court sentences Shirin to qisas, rejecting mercy when a diya option is not available. The decision underscores the gravity of the act within the framework of Islamic law. The momentum of the case shifts toward a final, fatal outcome.

To pursue diya, the lawyer and fiancé search for the janitor’s relatives. They track down a living brother with help from a carpet salesman who initially resists, but is forced to reveal the brother’s whereabouts after threats to burn carpets. The scene exposes the stubborn obstacles to legal remedy.

The would-be rescue arrives to find the janitor’s brother dying of a drug overdose, eliminating the possibility of diya. With that path closed, Shirin is transferred toward execution, leaving the fates of many hanging in suspense. The ending emphasizes the tragedy and unresolved consequences of the case.