The official channel of the streaming platform "Netflix" on "YouTube" released a video featuring the stars of the film "Friends or Not," which has sparked controversy recently. In the video, they answered questions related to the film, which is adapted from the famous Italian film "Perfect Strangers." The story mainly revolves around a group of friends playing a game where they share all messages and calls received on their phones.
When the cast was asked about the possibility of playing such a game in real life, Monika Zaki stated that she wouldn’t mind playing it: "I would definitely play it in real life; I have no problem, because I don't have any huge secrets in my life at all."
Regarding the similarities between her real-life personality and her character "Mariam" in "Friends or Not," Monika Zaki explained, "I could feel the character deeply because I lived it with my friends and many people around me; that's why I was interested and wanted to show what it means for a woman to feel like she isn't a woman because of the man with her."
Mayada Al-Haraki, the film's executive producer, mentioned that all the cast members spent a long time together in one house before filming, which helped them appear on screen convincingly as friends, even though some of them didn’t know each other personally before.
It’s worth noting that "Friends or Not" is the 20th version of the Italian film "Perfect Strangers" and is the first Arabic film produced by Netflix, directed by Wissam Smira in his debut feature film. The cast includes: Monika Zaki, Nadine Labaki, Iyad Nassar, Adel Karam, George Khabbaz, Diamand Bou Abboud, and Fouad Yamen.
The film premiered at a special event in Dubai on January 17 and was released worldwide on Netflix on January 20.
Controversy surrounding "Friends or Not," which is the first Arabic film produced by Netflix, has continued, especially with its release in Egypt, causing significant backlash and criticism from the audience due to its bold themes and shocking scenes. Some artists have expressed their opinions freely, even if it exposes them to criticism and attack.
