An Iranian-American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actress, she is known for her distinctive style blending genre elements. She gained acclaim for her debut feature, "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night" (2014), a Persian-language vampire western. Raised in Miami, she later moved to California, studying at UCLA. Her works often explore themes of isolation and identity. Following her debut, she directed "The Bad Batch" (2016) and "Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon" (2021), further establishing her unique voice in cinema.