The Infidel

Mahmud Nasir is a husband, father, and a British Muslim who enjoys rock music and the occasional drink, living with a sense of ordinary restraint until a web of secrets and loyalties tests everything he believes about himself. When his son Rashid plans to marry his fiancée Uzma, the couple seeks the blessing of Uzma’s devout Muslim stepfather, Arshad Al-Masri. Mahmud agrees to play the part of a deeply devout Muslim for the sake of the family’s happiness, even as he harbors suspicions about Arshad’s rumored links to extremism. The arrangement pulls Mahmud into a tension-filled balance between appearances and honesty, a balance he hopes to maintain even as his life begins to tilt.

In the quiet hours of cleaning out his recently deceased mother’s house, Mahmud uncovers an adoption certificate that reveals an astonishing truth: he was adopted when he was two weeks old. His birth name is Solomon “Solly” Shimshillewitz, and his biological parents were Jewish. This revelation unsettles him, exposing a latent anti-Semitic streak that surfaces in his uneasy interactions with his American Jewish neighbor, Leonard “Lenny” Goldberg. A heated argument with Lenny becomes a turning point, as Mahmud inadvertently exposes his ethnicity and his real name, and Lenny mentions a local man named Isaac “Izzy” Shimshillewitz who could be Mahmud’s biological father.

Driven by curiosity and a need for belonging, Mahmud traces Izzy to a Jewish old age home. A rabbi there refuses him entry, arguing that it would be too shocking for Izzy to see his son, a Muslim, and advising Mahmud to learn to act more like a Jew if he truly wants to meet his father before he dies. Lenny steps in, offering to teach Mahmud what he knows about being Jewish—from dancing in the style of Topol to picking up basic Yiddish. But the frequent trips to Lenny’s home begin to raise suspicions among Mahmud’s family, especially after a kippah is spotted at a Free Palestine rally. In a moment of despair and desperation, Mahmud publicly burns the kippah, signaling a dramatic act of resistance against Zionism in the eyes of his community.

Mahmud and Lenny continue to press their luck, attending a Bar Mitzvah where, in broken Yiddish, Mahmud ends up telling a very crude joke to a room full of attendees. The crowd’s laughter suggests a less hostile reception than he anticipated, yet the rabbi still refuses him entry into Izzy’s world when Mahmud cannot recite the Sh’ma or name the Five Books of Moses in Hebrew. A growing rift comes into view: Mahmud’s desire to fit into both identities collides with the rigid expectations of the communities around him.

Tension erupts at home when Mahmud’s attempts to maintain a double life come under scrutiny. After a bitter argument with Lenny, Mahmud storms back to his family, only to find Arshad and Uzma and their friends gathered, apparently impressed by Mahmud’s displayed religiosity after seeing him burn the kippah on television. The scene escalates when police, the media, and a crowd of angry Jews and supportive Muslims arrive to arrest Mahmud for burning the kippah. In a moment of public honesty, he proclaims that he is Jewish, attempting to exonerate himself in front of everyone. The revelation shocks Arshad, who leaves with Uzma and his entourage in tow.

The fallout is severe. Mahmud’s family distance themselves, a colleague resigns from his job, and he sinks into despair and drinking. He is eventually rescued by Lenny, who saw the news coverage and reaches out. Mahmud returns to the old age home, determined to see Izzy, only to learn Izzy has already passed away. Inside Izzy’s room, Mahmud finds a video recording of his own announcement — a message sent by Lenny to Izzy — and a single sticker bearing the name “Solly.” It is a small, potent symbol that Izzy never forgot his long-lost son.

Armed with a newfound resolve, Mahmud reappears at Arshad’s next rally and speaks on behalf of himself, Jewish citizens, and Muslims alike. In a startling revelation, he also discloses another discovery: Arshad is actually Gary Page, the once-famous figure who staged his own death after a racist onstage tirade, only to reemerge later with a completely new identity as a devout Muslim cleric. Arshad flees the scene, dressed in his old Gary Page clothes. In the aftermath, Rashid and Uzma are married in a ceremony that unites both Muslim and Jewish communities, underscoring a theme of shared humanity. Lenny finds new work with a taxi firm that is primarily run by Muslims, symbolizing a bridge between communities that once seemed irreconcilable.

Throughout this journey, the film maintains a careful, thoughtful tone that explores how identity can be constructed, contested, and ultimately reconciled. It delves into the fragile lines between faith, heritage, and personal truth, showing how the pressure to perform belonging can push people toward deception, yet how moments of vulnerability and courage can forge unexpected connections. The final image leaves us with a sense of cautious hope: even after missteps and revelations, people can come together to honor memory, celebrate unity, and move forward with a broader sense of community.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 15:40