It Was Just an Accident cast and character guide: Who plays whom in the latest thriller?

Jafar Panahi's It Was Just an Accident had made not just the fans and critics talk but also major political figures like Jean-Noël Barrot. Though it's a thriller film, it adds ‘psychological’ as a prefix when the film ends. It becomes ambiguous for the audiences but certainly unnerving, just because of a sound.

The film stars Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, and more. Though it usually revolves about one man who is suspected of being someone who used to torture people in an Iranian prison, that man becomes a captive for most of the story.

Except for this captive, most of the people are his victims, and now they are simply confirming his identity so they can finally decide to kill him.

It was released theatrically in France on October 1, 2025, and currently holds a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 97% at the Tomatometer. Its website consensus reads,

"Perhaps the most bluntly political film by Jafar Panahi yet, It Was Just an Accident is a defiant rebuke of authoritarianism that still delivers the entertainment value of a gripping thriller."

As for the Popcornmeter, it has given the film a rating of 90% at the time of writing.

It Was Just an Accident cast

Ebrahim Azizi as Eghbal

Eghbal, played by Ebrahim Azizi, is at the center of the story, a man whose identity some people are trying to reveal, as they believe this man is their tormentor from their prison days. Eghbal tries to convince them that he is not who they think, but the truth eventually surfaces by the end of the story.

Vahid Mobasseri as Vahid

Vahid is the first man in It Was Just an Accident to recognize the man as Eghbal. As soon as he realizes this, he tries to take his revenge. Vahid Mobasseri plays this role During one sequence in the film, he even tries to bury Eghbal alive but then decides to investigate after his alleged tormentor pleads.

Mariam Afshari as Shiva

When Vahid is investigating about the identity of the man he had captured, he is redirected to a woman named Shiva, another victim of Eghbal's. However, like Vahid, she is also confused about the identity of the man, but she does suspect it.

Hadis Pakbaten as Golrokh

Hadis Pakbaten plays Golrokh in It Was Just an Accident, another victim of Eghbal. She is with her husband when we meets her and Shiva is taking the pictures of this couple. She also tags along in this investigation to uncover the truth about Eghbal's identity.

Majid Panahi as Ali

Ali is Golrokh's husband and perhaps the most calm person among the characters we meet throughout the film. Majid Panahi portrays the role in the film.

Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr as Hamid

Another victim of Eghbal's who joins the investigation is Hamid, played by Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr. When he comes across the captured man, he insists that this man should be killed on the spot, as he is sure after inspecting his leg that the man is Eghbal.