Return of the Prodigal Son
1976, Arabic. Directed by Youssef Chahine.
Freed after spending years in prison, an activist's homecoming turns into a dark affair as his disillusion clashes with his family's expectations. Demonstrating Chahine’s eclecticism, this is an elegant melodrama, exuberant musical, layered allegory, and profound portrait of personal and political disillusionment.
- Runtime
- 2h 5m
- Post-credits
- None listed
- Language
- Arabic
- Rated
- Check local
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Where to watch Return of the Prodigal Son
Return of the Prodigal Son is streaming on Criterion Channel in India.
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Criterion ChannelAvailability in India as of 12 November 2026. Streaming data by JustWatch.
Cast & crew
- Youssef ChahineDirector
- Hesham SelimIbrahim Tolba Madbouly
- Majida El RoumiTafida Hassouna
- Ahmed MehrezAli Mohamed Madbouly
- Shoukry SarhanTolba Mohamed Madbouly
- Huda SultanRatiba, the Mother
- Mahmood Al-MelejiMohamed Madbouly
- Soheir El MorshedyFatima Tawfiq Hassan
- Sid Ali KouiretHassouna
- Ragaa HusseinLawahez - Hassouna's wife
- Ali Al SharifClown
- Ahmed Abdel WarethCaptain Hossam
- Ahmad BedirAhmed Al-Taweel
Details
- Released
- 24 September 1976
- Original title
- عودة الابن الضال
- Country
- Algeria, Egypt
- Written by
- Youssef Chahine, Salah Jahin, Farouk Beloufa
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Return of the Prodigal Son: quick answers
Is Return of the Prodigal Son worth watching?
Return of the Prodigal Son doesn’t have enough ratings for a verdict yet.
How long is Return of the Prodigal Son?
Return of the Prodigal Son runs 125 minutes (2h 5m).
Does Return of the Prodigal Son have a post-credits scene?
None is listed for Return of the Prodigal Son. Viewers tag these on TMDB, so a brand-new film may not be tagged yet.
Return of the Prodigal Son parents guide: is it suitable for kids?
No age rating is listed for Return of the Prodigal Son yet.
Which OTT platform is Return of the Prodigal Son on?
Return of the Prodigal Son is streaming on Criterion Channel in India. (Checked 12 November 2026.)
What movies are like Return of the Prodigal Son?
If you liked Return of the Prodigal Son, try Grace Unplugged, Taurus, Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould.
Who directed Return of the Prodigal Son?
Return of the Prodigal Son (1976) was directed by Youssef Chahine and stars Hesham Selim, Majida El Roumi, Ahmed Mehrez.