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Review: Disobedience (2017)
Genre: Drama / Romance

Disobedience (2017), directed by Sebastián Lelio and based on Naomi Alderman’s novel, is a quiet yet emotionally powerful exploration of love, faith, and personal freedom. Set within a conservative Orthodox Jewish community in North London, the film delicately examines the boundaries between tradition and desire.

Rachel Weisz stars as Ronit, a woman who returns to her religious community after the death of her estranged father, a revered rabbi. Her arrival stirs tension—not only because she left years ago in defiance of religious norms, but because of her repressed romantic history with Esti (Rachel McAdams), now married to Dovid (Alessandro Nivola), Ronit’s childhood friend and her father’s spiritual heir.

The chemistry between Weisz and McAdams is tender, conflicted, and deeply felt. Their shared history simmers beneath every glance, and when passion finally breaks through, it’s raw and liberating. McAdams delivers a particularly nuanced performance, portraying Esti’s quiet suffering and gradual awakening with remarkable grace.

Lelio avoids sensationalism, instead letting the film breathe in long, thoughtful silences and restrained dialogue. The tension lies not in melodrama, but in the suffocating weight of expectations, identity, and longing. The muted tones and subdued atmosphere reflect the community’s rigidity and the emotional restraint of its members.

At its heart, Disobedience is not just about forbidden love—it’s about the cost of self-denial and the courage it takes to reclaim one’s truth. It asks: can faith and freedom coexist? And what does it mean to live honestly when everything around you says not to?

This is a deeply human story told with empathy and restraint.

What did you think of Esti’s final choice? Did it feel like freedom—or another kind of disobedience? Let’s discuss.