The satirical commentary on clergymen in post-revolutionary Iran. While in prison, petty criminal Reza (Parviz Parastui) comes across a clergyman, sparking a plan for escape. Reza dons his new acquaintance's clerical robes and makes a bid for freedom. He soon learns that being a clergyman brings little respect from the public. Reza travels to the outlying villages, from where he plots to escape the country. However, his plans must be put on hold when the villagers accept him into their community and expect him to perform religious duties. Will Reza's prison break transform him into an unlikely pillar of the community?
Acting
Parastui's deadpan physical comedy is absolute perfection
Direction
Tabrizi smuggles biting critique past censors with clowning
Writing
Script walks tightrope between farce and genuine pathos
Director
Kamal Tabrizi
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The film was briefly banned in Iran after clerics protested its portrayal of religious figures, then unbanned due to public outcry—making its box office success a small rebellion itself.
Parviz Parastui, already Iran's biggest star, reportedly accepted half his usual fee because the script was that good. The 'lizard' nickname refers to Reza's tattoo and his slippery survival instincts.
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