Rule Breakers review (2025)

Rule Breakers takes a while to find its way, but it settles into a very enjoyable inspirational film about breaking barriers for a greater good.

The film is based on the true story of Roya Mahboob (a mesmerizing Nikohl Boosheri), a pioneer as one of the first IT female CEOs in Afghanistan. Part of the initial struggle of Rule Breakers is the sense that there’s so much more of Roya’s story that needed to be told before jumping into the film’s focus — Roya’s efforts to establish the Afghan Girls Robotics Team or Afghan Dreamers.

One major challenge for screenwriters Jason Brown; Elaha Mahboob, Roya’s sister, and co-screenwriter/director Bill Guttentag is that Roya’s backstory is so compelling it could have been the basis for an entire movie itself. 

Guttentag has to reduce vital information like what sparked a young Roya’s interest in computers and technology, the challenges of trying to excel in the field during the Taliban’s reign and her drive to pass on her information to other women to just a few quick flashbacks. With its two-hour run time, Rule Breakers is not a short film and a bit more time expanding Roya’s backstory would have provided much needed insight into her mindset.

With the assistance of her brother, Ali (Noorin Gulamgaus), Roya starts a computer/Internet class for girls. The threat of violence from the Taliban is very real, but Roya is stunned to see so many eager girls looking to learn. Encouraged by a colleague, Samir (Ali Fazal, Death on the Nile), Roya recruits some of her brightest students to join her robotics team. Teaching the girls technology is one thing, but if the Afghan girls can be competitive and prove they belong on a global stage with robotics teams from around the world it could lead to more engagement and support for the next generation of Afghan girls.

MORE:

• Brave the Dark review (2025)
• The Forge review (2024)
• Transformers Studio Series 86 Core Frenzy review
• Daredevil Born Again: Optics review S1 E2

At this point, Rule Breakers settles into more familiar inspirational movie territory with the recruitment phase. Roya and Ali have different challenges in getting Taara (Nina Hosseinzadeh), Esin (Amber Afzali), Arezo (Mariam Saraj) and Haadiya (Sara Malal Rowe) onto the team. These are nicely done sequences that showcase the four girls and their various family units and struggles well.

All four actresses do a tremendous job of making their characters likable. Even when they have a moment where they act like young girls it feels less sensational for the sake of a more dramatic scene and more for welcome perspective on this experience for the girls.

The screenwriters again speed through some essential storytelling aspects like showing the girls using their specialties to construct their robot or the learning curve the girls spend to become highly proficient. With some stories that would be boring background fodder best shown through a montage, but it would benefit Rule Breakers.

Roya, Ali and the girls do face plenty of other challenges, however. Whether visa issues, the last airplane to a competition not having enough seats for the six of them to travel, customs problems and damaged parts, the girls have a healthy number of obstacles. Just when it seems like Roya and the girls’ challenges are addressed too easily, incidents with the Taliban bring back into focus the more serious nature of their dreams.

One very encouraging aspect of Rule Breakers is the rosy world view of the characters from different backgrounds and culture coming together. Some of the film’s best moments play out with the girls interacting with teams from other countries.

There’s no nasty bully adversary team, which would have fit in easily with the usual competition trope. Instead, the other teams are exceedingly nice, welcoming and encouraging. While that’s sadly likely not realistic it’s a hopeful message of togetherness in a time where that feels sorely needed in the real world.

Rule Breakers has some narrative challenges, but the cast navigates through them to make this a very rewarding and satisfying feel-good film.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Photo Credit: Angel Studios

Seeking another inspirational story? Check out Hidden Figures on Blu-Ray on Amazon.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.