Leila’s Brothers

Early in the film, Leila has spent her life caring for her parents and four brothers, watching debt and hardship press in on the household. The family is crushed by economic crisis and inflation driven by sanctions. Leila begins to search for a way to pull them out of poverty by taking charge of their fate.

Leila formulates a plan to start a family business as a lifeline for the clan. She convinces her siblings that entrepreneurship could break the cycle of debt, even amid hyperinflation. The plan hinges on securing capital to fund a storefront in a mall bathroom conversion.

The family scrambles to find the capital needed for the storefront. They face the harsh realities of the crisis as prospects slim and time runs short. The pressure mounts as their window to launch narrows.

Esmail aims to gift 40 gold coins at a wedding to cement his grip on the family as patriarch. He pursues legacy and control, caring little for his children's ambitions. The plan to perform a grand gesture sets the conflict in motion.

Leila and her brothers trick Alireza into presenting coins, but they hand him an empty box instead. Alireza believes he will fulfill his father’s wish, unaware of the deception until the moment reveals itself. The stunt briefly crowns a patriarch in name, while the real wealth remains hidden.

During the ceremony, the father is briefly crowned patriarch only to be demoted and replaced by a rival. The family discovers the coins were never real, and power within the household rapidly shifts. Tensions reach a boiling point as loyalties collide.

The father claims he took out a mortgage to buy the coins, arguing that the family could be homeless if the loan isn’t repaid. The revelation intensifies the pressure to raise funds fast and tests the family’s unity. Trust frays as everyone scurries to protect their own future.

Alireza feels used and fear for the roof over their heads as the brothers turn against Leila’s plan. They decide to relinquish the mortgage by gathering funds, undermining Leila’s business strategy. Family rifts deepen as old resentments resurface.

Inflation and rising prices crush their ability to raise enough money for the coins or to buy them back. The family slides closer to financial ruin as external economic forces tighten the noose. The dream of stabilization seems increasingly out of reach.

In a final reveal, the father did not mortgage the house at all but kept a secret bank account funding the coins. The family is shocked by the extent of his deception and the wealth he hoarded. The revelation reframes every prior conflict and motive.

Shortly after the revelation, the father dies during a young girl's birthday party. Only Alireza notices, leaving him in shock as the celebration around him continues. The moment lands as a devastating ending beat that shifts the film’s tone.

Alireza remains in shock as the family processes the father’s death and the earlier deceit. The party’s clamor contrasts with the quiet tragedy he feels, underscoring the film’s themes of family, ambition, and trust. The ending leaves unresolved tension about what comes next.