From the start, the film signals that tragedy is coming, and everything is staged to march us toward it. But From the Ashes builds the rivalry between Heba and Amira so obviously that the disaster feels telegraphed instead of emotionally earned.

The heart-wrenching event the film’s premise prepares us for, the big fire, comes in the first 30 minutes. That alone might leave you colder than expected. Once that’s out of the way, however, the film starts to get more interesting.

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