The Old Bachelor 2024

Gholam Bastani, Hassan Pourshirazi a drug addict and relentless womanizer, rules over a crumbling two-story house with his two grown sons, Ali Bastani Hamed Behdad and Reza Bastani Mohammad Valizadegan. With no mother in the home, the brothers grow up under his capricious whims, and as they edge toward middle age, they push him to sell the property so they can finally claim a stake in their own lives. But Gholam dodges the conversation at every turn, prioritizing fleeting pleasures over any plan for the future. He spends his days wandering the streets or lingering at his friend Ghamkhar’s junk shop, where the scent of resin, rust, and old ambitions hangs in the air. The contrast between their wealth and the constant strain he places on them fuels a persistent tension that gnaws at every family interaction, setting the stage for a collision of loyalties, anger, and sorrow.

Ali works as a bookseller but loses his job after a clash with a colleague, while Reza holds a position at a real estate agency. Despite the outward appearance of affluence, Gholam keeps his sons in a state of financial fragility, stringing them along with sporadic generosity and vague promises. The brothers sometimes entertain drastic fantasies about reclaiming their independence, with Reza openly sharing a plan to do something drastic against their father. The dynamic is sharpened by Gholam’s careless indulgences, which keep the family on edge and make the prospect of selling the house feel both alluring and dangerous. Their quiet resentment simmers beneath the surface, hinting at a storm that could erupt at any moment.

One day, Gholam encounters a young woman named Rana, Leila Hatami at Ghamkhar’s shop, where she is looking for a place to rent. He brings her to his home and offers her the upstairs apartment at a reduced rent to help her out of a tight financial spot. Gholam becomes infatuated with her and soon announces to his sons that he plans to marry Rana. Rana settles into the new space, unaware of the full motive behind his sudden commitment, while the household begins to buzz with the uneasy energy of this new arrangement. The tension deepens as Rana quietly observes the power dynamics at play, sensing that Gholam’s interest is not simply romantic.

During a tense dinner with Gholam, Ali, and Reza, Rana realizes the true nature of Gholam’s desires through the conversation, even as an uneasy attraction grows between Ali and Rana. Ali pleads with his father to leave Rana alone, but Gholam’s stubborn pride refuses to yield. At the suggestion of Ghamkhar, Gholam attempts to seduce Rana with a large sum of cash, a brazen test of her loyalty and independence. She rejects him angrily, though she does not take the money, echoing a stubborn insistence on her own terms and autonomy.

Ali and Rana spend a night together outside the house, deepening their bond and complicating the already fraught web of loyalties in the family. When Gholam orders Ali to leave the home, Ali refuses, arguing that the property belonged to his mother and should belong to them as the heirs. The clash between father and son intensifies, with the two increasingly at odds over Rana’s affections and the future of the house. Gholam spends a night upstairs with Rana and later returns to Ghamkhar’s shop, boasting about his defiance and his control over the situation, a spectacle that only fuels further tension and fear.

Feeling a lack of privacy, Rana returns to her parents’ home. Ali confronts her to clarify what happened that night. She explains that although Gholam insisted on staying, he did nothing, and she simply went to her room to sleep. Furious at Gholam’s claims, Rana attempts to return the money he offered, but Gholam refuses and escalates by abducting her, insisting on intimacy. Rana resists, reiterating her love for Ali and making it clear that she does not want Gholam’s interference in her life.

After Rana disappears, Ali searches desperately, convinced that Gholam has harmed her. When confronted, Gholam repeatedly denies knowing her whereabouts, but the truth becomes increasingly clear in the ensuing chaos. One night, Ali and Reza take all of Gholam’s drugs and lock the house, cutting off his dangerous freedom. In a brutal confrontation, Gholam admits to raping and killing Rana and reveals that Reza may not be his biological son, blaming his wife for infidelity and the resulting punishment. In the ensuing struggle, Gholam stabs Ali and suffocates Reza. Ali fights back and fatally stabs Gholam, bringing the violent unraveling of the family to a grim climax as all three men die in the ultimate confrontation.