Nestled against the southern tip of Pakistan, hugged by the Arabian Sea is the city of Karachi. Not only is it the largest city in the country, it’s also the 12th largest in the world, with a population of over 20 million.

It is the backdrop for Zarrar Kahn’s directorial debut, with the city playing a prominent role in his darkly tinged drama.

Studying medicine in modern day Karachi is 25-year-old Mariam (Ramesha Nawal). She lives at home with her mother (Bakhtawar Mazhar) and brother Bilal (Jibran Khan).

The family are suffering from a recent bereavement that saw Mariam’s grand-father pass away.

On her way to class one day, Mariam is attacked in her car by some random stranger, which really shakes her up. She is comforted by a friend’s cousin Asad (Omar Javaid), who has recently returned from Canada.

The pair soon become close, or as close as one can get in a city that still clings on to old religious ideologies.

Although Mariam enjoys Asad’s company, weird and unexplained things continue to happen to her, as she is haunted by visions of men. Little does she know that reason for them is right under the roof of the family home.

Kahn’s debut certainly captures the hustle and bustle of the city in which it’s set; there’s a vibrancy to the streets, as well as a constant rush of energy.

What he also captures are some fine performances, namely that of its star Nawal, who makes her acting debut here. She brings a remarkable amount of confidence to the role, which is also met with a fair amount of vulnerability as the film continues.

It is a film that not only boasts strong roles for women, but it also serves to illustrate the sexism that not only exists in the city, but the country overall. Mariam is haunted by men, and men only, who representing the patriarchy intent on keeping women very much in their place.

Her fight against them isn’t just for herself and her mother, but for all womankind in the country.

But despite it’s obvious political bent, it still manages to creating an intriguing mysticism to proceedings, and all on a budget that doesn’t allow for any CGI shenanigans, making the results all the more impressive.

It’s fair to say that its narrative drifts occasionally, but both Nawal and the city combined, manage to keep things very interesting indeed and put this impressive debut on the map.