Yes Review That Hits Hard with Nadav Lapid’s Audacious Rejection of Israeli Nationalism

Nadav Lapid’s latest film, Yes, bursts onto the screen as a sharp, almost violent satire targeting the upper echelons of Israeli society in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attacks. It opens with a wild, drug-fueled party filled with affluent guests, exploding in excess and decadence amid pulsing techno beats.

Set primarily in Tel Aviv, Yes paints a vivid picture of a societal stratum seemingly detached from the brewing conflict, indulging obliviously while chaos looms nearby.

The film’s references to historical criticism of nationalism, such as George Grosz’s 1926 painting The Pillars of Society, frame this hedonism as a modern parallel to the Weimar Republic’s descent into fascism, but with a uniquely Israeli inflection.

Lapid’s protagonist, Y (played by Ariel Bronz), is a musician caught in this whirlwind of excess and political turmoil. Y’s reluctant journey toward composing a nationalist anthem funded by a wealthy oligarch highlights the tensions between artistic integrity and nationalist conformity.

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Throughout, Lapid exposes the performative nationalism and underlying complicity of privileged classes, forcing viewers to confront how everyday Israeli life is intertwined with violence and state propaganda.

These elements are endlessly reinforced visually, such as the omnipresent Israeli flags staged in nearly every scene, signaling the inescapable political climate surrounding the characters.​

Ethical Crisis: Neutrality Is No Longer an Option

The narrative deepens in its exploration of the moral battles faced by individuals living in a country embroiled in conflict. The film’s second act portrays Y stepping away from the party scene into the desert’s harsh reality, nearing the Palestinian border marked by war’s grim shadows.

Here, Y’s interactions include heated exchanges with his wife, Yasmine, and reflections on his deceased mother’s voice, symbolizing the internal and external pressures pulling him in conflicting directions.

Lapid’s “yes” conveys a clear message: neutrality amidst such a conflict is neither ethical nor possible. The film boldly acknowledges the horrors wrought on Gaza and implies that silence or refusal to take a stand only abets ongoing destruction.

This urgency is heightened by moments where actual propaganda lyrics from anti-Palestinian groups are astonishingly sung by digitally altered children, a chilling reminder of the war of narratives shaping hearts and minds.

Lapid refuses subtlety here, exposing the “Israeli disease” of nationalism and denial that, according to him, festers beneath the surface of otherwise normal urban life.​

A Controversial Reception Amid Political Backlash

Yes, it has ignited fierce debate both within and beyond Israel. Its highly political content, combined with Lapid’s in-your-face artistic style, has led to notable government backlash.

The film was criticized by figures in the Netanyahu administration, and it faced calls for exclusion from major Israeli film festivals. Despite this, it garnered multiple nominations at the Ophir Awards, Israel’s version of the Oscars, underlining its significance within the country’s cultural conversation.

The lead actor, Ariel Bronz, also became embroiled in controversy when he was detained over a politically charged poem he posted online, raising concerns about artistic freedom and censorship in today’s Israel.

Lapid himself, who lives in France by choice but returned to Israel for the film, describes Yes as a work about resisting submission to authority and challenging the boundaries of what can be spoken or depicted.

The film’s acquisition for North American release by Kino Lorber signals its growing international profile and the global interest in Israel’s internal divisions as seen through this provocative lens.​

Nadav Lapid’s Yes demands engagement; it is a blistering indictment of nationalism’s excesses and a painful reminder of the costs of silence in the face of violence. Its style and content make it daunting for some, but its fierce honesty cannot be ignored.

The film stands as a contentious, complex piece of cinema, both a call to conscience and a document of an unsettled moment in Israeli history.​

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