There’s no shortage of scumbags in Kamal El-Shaikh’s Hub wa idam (US: Love and the Death Penalty): not only has Abdul Hamid (Abbas Fares) abandoned his sick wife (Amina Rizk) and daughter to be a sugar daddy for retired dancer Suad (Aida Hilal) but, in turn, Suad is carrying on an affair with Morsi (Mahmoud Al-Meliji) right under Abdul’s nose, pretending Morsi’s her brother. When Abdul’s estranged daughter Samira (Samira Ahmed) comes calling for money for her mother’s (his wife’s) operation, a dramatic argument in which Samira wishes him dead ensues; witnessed by a neighbor, this confrontation provides the perfect opportunity for Suad and Morsi to frame Samira for the murder of Abdul, which they are plotting for later that evening. Their plan is successful, and Samira ends up on death row. Becoming known at this point for entertaining melodramas centered on criminal betrayals, El-Shaikh was adept at combining suspense and intrigue with often over-the-top emotional reactions suitable for a soap opera (Hilal’s feigning of grief is a pleasure to watch), an admixture strengthened by his use of elaborate, domestic sets. He was widely hailed as “the Hitchcock of Egypt” for good reason.