Skip to content
MovieCove
Mooz-Lum

Mooz-Lum

201099 minPG-13Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Director
Qasim Basir
Starring
Nia Long, Danny Glover, Evan Ross, Summer Bishil

Thanks to a strict Muslim upbringing that largely shielded him from the outside world, Tariq's first year of college proves transformative. That is, until the 9/11 terrorist attacks invite growing suspicion and distrust from his angry classmates.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Mooz-Lum?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Mooz-Lum streaming on Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV.

Subscription

Free

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Mooz-Lum?

Mooz-Lum earns 4 badges, led by Preferred by Women and Thought-provoking.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Mooz-Lum worth watching?

Mooz-Lum's Midcredits score is the 61st percentile of all films, from 1.2K ratings across 5 sources. 67% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

61st percentile

Better received than 61% of films

61st percentile among Drama61st percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)45th
Approval (how many liked it)75th

60 /100

45th percentile of all films

43rd percentile among Drama46th percentile among 2010s

Critics 48 · Audience 61

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

67% liked it

75th percentile of all films

77th percentile among Drama76th percentile among 2010s
67% rated it 7–1033% rated it 1–6

Critics 80% · Audience 78%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 7 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

43rd percentile

1.2K ratings across platforms

46th percentile among Drama47th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 14% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$140K
Domestic gross$369K
Worldwide gross$369K

48th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Fans praised

  • strong lead performances from Evan Ross and Nia Long
  • emotional impact and moving family drama
  • unique perspective of black American Muslim experience

Detractors panned

  • one-dimensional, stereotypical characters
  • clichéd, poorly written script with juvenile social commentary
  • boring pacing and lack of substantive exploration of 9/11

What stands out

ActingDivisive70

praised Evan Ross and Nia Long; panned wooden performances and Danny Glover's disengaged role

Emotional impactDivisive65

fans moved by family scenes and cathartic ending; detractors see manipulative, over-dramatic moments

AtmosphereDivisive60

fans note haunting, authentic atmosphere; detractors find it solemn and unsubtle

OriginalityDivisive55

fans value fresh perspective of black American Muslim; detractors call it formulaic and stereotypical

EndingDivisive55

fans find touching, subtle resolution; detractors dismiss as flimsy and unsatisfying

Plot and storyDivisive40

fans appreciated emotional arc and plot twist; detractors call it clichéd and lacking substance

PacingDivisive40

fans note building dynamic; detractors call it boring and slow

CharactersDivisive30

fans found some characters purposeful and well-written; detractors call them two-dimensional caricatures and stereotypical

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Women

Women scored it 22 points higher than men.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is Mooz-Lum like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and uplifting: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be moved and come out lifted.

It leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Moving and uplifting.

Moods
ContemplativeTenseBittersweet
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of films
Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film plays its material straight and earnestly, treating Tariq's struggle with faith and identity with gravity and warmth.
The rideThe film builds tension through Tariq's internal conflict and the external threat of post-9/11 prejudice, culminating in a heavier emotional stretch toward the climax.
StructureThe story cuts between Tariq's college present and his childhood past, conveyed through sepia-tinted flashbacks.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film prompts reflection on faith and prejudice while affirming the protagonist's growth and the possibility of understanding.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).RebirthHealing
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% · Healing 5% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

13% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeTariq's journey from a strict upbringing to self-acceptance, catalyzed by the 9/11 attacks, follows a rebirth arc of healing.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on Tariq's search for self amid a strict Muslim rearing, a new college environment, and the societal pressures of post-9/11 America.
StanceThe film reportedly avoids preaching or assigning blame, instead observing Tariq's personal struggle and the common humanity across cultural divides.

The world

Early 21st centuryInstitutionalDomesticUrbanRealistic
AmbientWorldSupportive music · hybrid · Misha Segal
SettingA young Muslim man's college life amid the lead-up to and aftermath of 9/11.
MusicScore likely blends ambient and Middle Eastern-influenced textures to underscore the cultural and emotional landscape.

Content guide

Is Mooz-Lum okay for kids?

PG-13

Mooz-Lum is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for thematic material and some violent content” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at minimal (0/100), language at mild (33/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Overall
Mild · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Profanity
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (5 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Mooz-Lum have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Mooz-Lum?

Cast

Nia Long
as Safiyah Mahdi
Danny Glover
as Dean Francis
Evan Ross
as Tariq Mahdi
Summer Bishil
as Iman
Dorian Missick
as Professor Jamal
Kunal Sharma
as Hamza
Michael Simpson
as Jason
Kimberley Drummond
as Taqua Mahdi
Atif Hashwi
as Muhammad
Maryam Basir
as Ayanna

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Mooz-Lum?

The closest match to Mooz-Lum is Jamesy Boy (2014); both are stories about estranged parents and children.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Mooz-Lum?

1.7K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: parent and child estranged. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.