Rule Breakers
Inspired by true events, Rule Breakers (directed and co-written by Bill Guttentag) follows Roya Mahboob (Nikohl Boosheri) as she works to create an all-girls Afghan robotics team. It’s an admirable tale that highlights the importance of education and female empowerment, and Guttentag tells it with euphoric vigour. However, its desire to depict the Afghan Dreamers’ story as an uplifting feel-good tale comes at the cost of downplaying the political situation.
The feature begins in 2017 as Roya starts a new computing class for girls. Following an attack on their drive back, a series of flashbacks to 1999 shows an inquisitive Roya prohibited from using her school’s new computers because of her gender. Further time jumps show her teaching herself to the point where she sees code scrawling across the road in front of her. Cutting back to the present, Roya now has the idea of creating an all-girls robotics team and taking them to international competitions. The script soon finds its footing after a chaotic start, but the breakneck pacing persists.
From here, the plot boils down to a series of obstacles that Roya and the girls must overcome to make it to the competition. Whether it’s persuading male family members to let their daughters join the team, issues obtaining visas, or crucial mechanical parts getting stuck at customs, every problem is solved with an inspirational speech and rousing musical accompaniment. While these moments fit the feel-good tone and draw attention to what these women faced, there’s no time taken to unpack any of the underlying political context. Except for some smaller scenes, the situation in Afghanistan remains largely unexplored.
Rule Breakers is at its best during the competition scenes. Guttentag taps into the underdog sports genre to delightful effect as the girls rise through the rankings of each competition. In a clever move, documentary footage of the real-life events is spliced in to show children from around the world talking about their passion for science, which serves as a gesture of unity. Boosheri and her co-stars give strong performances throughout, making it easy for audiences to root for their success.
Although flawed, Rule Breakers contains a meaningful message about female empowerment that’s hard to ignore.
Andrew Murray
Rule Breakers is released on Prime Video on 17th November 2025.
Watch the trailer for Rule Breakers here:
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