Head to Head is a well-made, entertaining South Arabian film dabbling between comedy and thriller. The film revolves around a limo driver, Darwish, and the head of maintenance for the company, Fayadh. Darwish was in love with Latifa, but her father was completely against them. Latifa’s plan was to leave the country with Darwish and settle down in London. Moving to a different country was a huge step, but Darwish considered it for Latifa. While we were under the impression that Darwish was perhaps part of the mafia, we soon realized that he works for a company named “Sheik’s Chauffeur.” Darwish had no idea what was in store for him, as he planned on quitting his job and flying to Britain.
Spoilers Alert
Plot Summary: What Is The Film About?
After spending 20 years in a Russian prison for theft, the King of Diamonds was finally allowed to return to his country. The former ruler of Bathaika had turned skinny and weak and had stopped speaking. His son, the Jack of Diamonds, inherited the position, and he was elated upon receiving the news of his father’s return.
Fayadh was prepared to resign after receiving a threatening phone call from Ibn Zarub. That day, the son of the company owner, Saroub, was also at the office, and his approach was a little different than the CEO’s. He was ready to make profits anyhow, but Ibn Zarub did not agree with his proposal. Saroub fired him immediately and decided to handle the business on his own. When Fayadh entered the room, he was asked to replace Ibn Zarub and become the new company CEO. Fayadh struggled to comprehend the situation; he had entered the room thinking it would be his last day, and within a few minutes, he was proposed to become the CEO. He happily accepted the position, but the only catch was that the documents that confirmed his position required the signature of Saroub’s father, who was returning home that very day. Fayadh asked Darwish to receive the old man from the airport. At the airport, the Head of Sheik’s Chauffeur waited along with the King of Diamonds. Darwish got confused and brought along the King of Diamonds. Men from his gang called Fayadh and asked them to bring their leader along to Bathaika. In exchange, they would return Saroub’s father.
Fayadh and Darwish arrived with the old man at Bathaika, a neighborhood infamous for criminal activities. The gangsters arrived, and it was time for the exchange. But when Fayadh tried to reach for the old man, Darwish informed him that he had passed away. The exchange was disrupted when Darwish reached for his gun. The gangsters left to report to Jack of Diamonds. Fayadh and Darwish realized that the old man was diabetic, and he died after consuming a handful of candies. The King of Diamonds was almost a cult figure among gangsters, but as fate would have it, he died an unceremonious death.
How Did Darwish And Fayadh Bring Back The Company Owner?
The gangsters assumed that Fayadh and Darwish were professional criminals, and they informed their bosses about it. Jack of Diamonds wondered if it was the Russians who devised a plan to follow the old man and find the jeweled egg kept in the safe. He ordered his men to bring the heads of the two men who dared to harm his father. Darwish decided to inform the police about their entire situation, but he was surprised to see common people living there. He found out that the police had left the neighborhood. The King of Diamonds and his son had ruined Bathaika, and the common people were tired of their oppression.
Meanwhile, Fayadh watched two men steal his car, and to his surprise, the men were murdered within a minute. It was Jack of Diamonds’ men who murdered them, thinking they were Fayadh and Darwish. They realized that they were in serious trouble and decided to book a hotel room for the night. They dressed the corpse like a woman and convinced the hotel owner to give them a room. Darwish had planned to leave the country with his girlfriend, but here he was, stuck at a dingy hotel. He wanted to leave, but Fayadh lured him with the company share that he would receive as CEO. Fayadh was in dire need and therefore he called up his close friend, Abu, to lend him a helping hand. A man of many talents, Abu Ghadra agreed to come on board in exchange for a car that he owed to explosive expert Luqman. While Fayadh and Darwish’s car was nothing but a piece of junk, Fayadh lied about it and convinced Abu Ghadra to come on board.
Abu Ghadra informed them that they had the corpse of the King of Diamonds in their hotel washroom. The King of Diamonds had stolen a precious Russian Egg and brought it to Bathaika. His son later gifted the egg to the woman he was in love with, knowing that she was a collector of art and antiques. Nuwayyer was highly impressed by his gesture and was ready to marry him, but her father objected. Her father was the mayor of Bathaika, and he was known to be an honest man. The mayor ultimately gave in to his daughter’s request, and the King of Diamonds became a part of the mayor’s family. He manipulated the mayor and became his deputy. He had control over the town, and it became a breeding ground for criminals. The mayor soon found out about the drug business carried on by the King of Diamonds, and he was shot dead. The King of Diamonds became the mayor of the town, and he was not tolerant of his haters. His signature style was to leave a King of diamonds card on his victims’ bodies. Nuwayyer informed the Russians about the stolen egg, and they kidnapped the King of Diamonds from his house. Jack of Diamonds realized that his wife was responsible for it, and he murdered her. The situation at Bathaika kept getting worse, and it turned into the capital of thuggery and crime.
Abu introduced them to his friend, Abboud Khuffash, a skilled spy. While Khuffash initially was not interested in coming along, he eventually agreed. He found his brother’s body outside his doorstep. Mardas used to work for Jack of Diamonds and was shot dead at point-blank range for inefficiency. Khuffash was ready for revenge, and they all came up with a plan together. They drove out of Jack of Diamonds’ house and successfully managed to free Saroub’s father and his men. Darwish had to drive the car to them and help them escape, but he could not move. Khuffash and the men were ultimately caught by the thugs.
Ending Explained: Who Was Latifa?
Darwish was shocked when he noticed Latifa at Jack of Diamond’s house. At the end of Head to Head, it was revealed that Latifa was the daughter of Jack of Diamonds. She never confessed the truth to Darwish, fearing that he would end their relationship. She was not ready to lose the man she loved because of her father. Her plan was to steal the egg and some cash and leave her home and her father behind. It would have all gone well had the confusion at the airport not occurred. After listening to her explanation, Darwish realized that he needed time to process it all. He returned to the hotel and was surprised to find that the old man’s body was missing. He was soon knocked out by a stranger, and he woke up at Lugman’s apartment. Lughman had kidnapped Darwish and Ghadra out of frustration. He had been waiting for Abu Ghadra to pay back his debt, but he decided he had had enough. Lugman ignited an explosive, but the moment he saw Latifa, he diffused it. Latifa had come to rescue Darwish, and her plan was to distract her father with a proposal.
Jack of Diamonds expected Darwish, but instead, a stranger entered his mansion in the hopes of marrying Latifa. Jack of Diamonds was busy taking care of the stranger when he was informed that someone had left his father’s body at the factory. When Jack of Diamonds and his gang of thugs were at the factory, Darwish entered the mansion and broke open the safe room where Saroub and his father, along with Fayadh and Khuffash, were kept. The men were finally free and ready to leave, but Darwish went back into the mansion to find Latifa. Latifa wanted to take the only picture she had of her deceased mother, and on her way out, she was confronted by her father. Jack of Diamonds had suffered injuries due to the explosion burst at the factory that was planned by Darwish and his team. He was ready to murder Latifa for daring to go against his wishes, but thankfully, Darwish was right behind him to save her. He shot Latifa’s father in the head and finally brought an end to the madness.
During Head to Head’s ending, Darwish and Latifa got married, and instead of being the ones driving the car, it was Darwish’s turn to make requests to the driver. Also, funnily enough, just like him, the driver was going through some problems with his girlfriend’s father. Head to Head ends on a humorous note, with the past repeating itself, but the situation has turned. We can assume that Bathaika will go through some change after the death of their leader. According to the end credits, Khuffash finally moved out of Bathaika and started living a lavish life. The Russian egg was ultimately offered to a museum. Strangely enough, Lugman and Abu Ghadra opened a cat shelter, and they seemed quite happy. Unfortunately, Fayadh did not become the CEO of Shaik’s Chauffeur; instead, he started working with Mando at his car repair shop.
