--- title: "Mo" year: 2022 kind: "series" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/mo" fi1m_id: "mo" imdb_id: "tt15875168" tmdb_id: 201124 wikidata_id: "Q113812358" fi1m_score: 85 critics_score: 89 critics_reviews: 5 published: "2026-09-12" updated: "2026-09-20T21:38:07.503660+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Mo (2022) Created by Mohammed Amer, Ramy Youssef · MPA TV-MA · Comedy, Drama ## Identity Mo - **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/mo - **Type:** Series - **Fi1m ID:** mo - **IMDb ID:** tt15875168 - **TMDB ID:** 201124 - **Wikidata ID:** Q113812358 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15875168/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/201124, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q113812358 **Fi1m score: 85** · Critics 89 (early) from 5 reviews *In a sentence:* Mo Amer could make us laugh in an immigration queue, though we would rather not test it > Mo Amer’s comedy about a Palestinian refugee in Houston is funny, warm and frank about the strain of waiting to belong. Its loose storytelling occasionally drifts, but the family is worth staying with. ## Synopsis Mo Najjar (Mo Amer) is a Palestinian refugee living in Houston, trying to earn a living while his immigration status remains unresolved. Family, work and the business of finding a place in America occupy the same days, alongside grief and earlier trauma. The comedy-drama follows Mo through a multicultural city and the demands of an immigration system that keeps his future uncertain. Teresa Ruiz plays Maria, with Farah Bsieso as Yusra Najjar and Omar Elba as Sameer Najjar. Flashbacks connect the family’s present to the experiences that bring them here. ## Review *Mo* is funny, affecting television, and its untidy storytelling is a forgivable fault. Mo Amer plays Mo Najjar, a Palestinian refugee in Houston trying to earn a living while his immigration status remains unresolved. Amer is also among the writers, alongside Ramy Youssef, Sophia Lear and Luvh Rakhe. Our recommendation rests on the first series, whose eight episodes make the time spent with this family matter even when the plot is going nowhere. Amer’s appeal matters because so much of the programme depends on wanting to spend time with Mo between developments in his case. His humour grows out of the effort of getting through a day, carrying the frustration of someone who cannot make the important decisions himself. He is persuasive company, and the jokes rarely feel imposed on the difficulties he faces. That gives the series room to attend to work and family without constantly manufacturing another comic predicament. The family material is what makes that time worthwhile. Farah Bsieso plays Yusra Najjar and Omar Elba plays Sameer Najjar, and the ensemble has the ease that lets a conversation matter without everyone seeming to deliver a point. We found the family’s uncertainty upsetting, because their need to earn a living cannot wait for a decision on their right to stay. The grief and trauma behind their present circumstances are given room without making suffering their only subject. Solvan Naim’s direction allows the first series a relaxed pace across its locations and flashbacks. That freedom suits a comedy interested in the people Mo encounters and the different communities around him in Houston. It also means the changes between everyday humour and painful family history need not feel like a formal pause for seriousness. The flashbacks help explain why these lives carry more pressure than their present-day routines might suggest. Karriem Riggins’s music suits that easy movement between humour and sadness, without insisting that each change should announce itself. Carmen Navis’s production design keeps the everyday settings believable as places where people have work to do and families to look after. Their contributions help Houston feel like a place where Mo already has a life, however uncertain his permission to continue it. The series spends enough time in these surroundings for them to become familiar. The loose plotting is also the main reservation. Amer and his fellow writers sometimes let agreeable company substitute for a strong reason to move from one scene to the next, and the first series can feel stalled. We occasionally wanted a firmer sense of where an episode was going, even if Mo himself could not know what came next. The humour usually keeps it watchable, but some stretches ask his charisma to do work the writing should have done. The family-comedy form serves *Mo* well because it lets cultural differences emerge through people we have had time to get to know. Its Palestinian characters belong to a wider Houston community, and the series is confident enough to allow unfamiliar details to remain part of ordinary conversation. There is no need to arrive with an understanding of asylum law to recognise the strain of an unresolved application. Allow for some slow stretches; this is a family worth spending eight episodes with. *Fi1m score 85, published 12 September 2026.* ## What the critics say With only 5 reviews in so far, the consensus is positive: critics praise Mo’s warmth, humour and culturally specific account of Palestinian refugee life in Houston. Praise centres on the lead’s charisma, the family relationships and the way comedy sits alongside grief, trauma and immigration uncertainty without becoming sentimental. Variety also credits director Solvan “Slick” Naim with a loose, lived-in rhythm across locations and flashbacks. The supplied reviews contain no substantial reservations or dissent; differences are chiefly in emphasis, from the performances to the depiction of America’s immigration system. ## Straight answers **Is Mo worth watching?** *Mo* is worth watching for anyone who wants a comedy about family and immigration that is funny without pretending the waiting is easy, and we scored it 85. Mo Amer is persuasive company and the Najjar household earns the time spent with it. The plotting is loose and the first series sometimes stalls, so allow for slow stretches. **How long is Mo, and what is it rated?** *Mo* is rated TV-MA by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy and drama series. **Where can I watch Mo in the US?** *Mo* is streaming on Netflix in the US. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Mo, and is it suitable for children?** *Mo* carries a UK 15 and US TV-MA certificate, which points to adult language and themes rather than violence or frights. The review notes grief and earlier trauma running under the comedy, with flashbacks to painful family history, but it does not describe anything gory or frightening. It suits older teenagers and adults; it is not made for younger children. **How does Mo compare to We Are Lady Parts?** *Mo* and [*We Are Lady Parts*](https://film.one/tv/we-are-lady-parts) are both warm comedies about Muslim characters finding where they belong, but *Mo* is quieter and sadder, built around a refugee family and an unresolved immigration case rather than a punk band. *We Are Lady Parts* is the quicker and ruder of the two, with a tighter run of episodes; *Mo* has more emotional weight and looser storytelling. Choose *Mo* for family drama with jokes, the other for noise and songs. ### Reviews we read (5) - **The Guardian**, Lucy Mangan (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the semi-autobiographical Netflix sitcom as a gorgeously textured, warm and moving story of a Palestinian American refugee seeking US citizenship in Houston, calling it very, very funny and impossible not to become invested in. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/aug/24/mo-review-rich-and-very-funny-story-of-palestinian-man-life-in-the-us-mo-amer) - **Variety**, Caroline Framke (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the series for bringing laughs and empathy to a Palestinian experience rarely seen on TV, highlighting the nuanced storytelling of a refugee family and the lead's ability to find humor amid grief and trauma. Director Solvan “Slick” Naim is credited with a loose, lived-in rhythm across locations and flashbacks. [Read](https://variety.com/2022/tv/reviews/mo-netflix-review-1235348011/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Angie Han (85/100, inferred): The review calls it a smart, self-assured and often very funny portrait of Palestinian-American life in Houston, commending the likable humor, clever details, and the lead character's charisma while navigating heavy themes of asylum, identity and family. It notes the show's specificity about culture without sentimentality. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/mo-netflix-mo-amer-ramy-youssef-1235201083/) - **Digital Spy**, Tariq Raouf (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the series groundbreaking for its deep, authentic depiction of Palestinian culture and family experiences as refugees, while also highlighting America's multicultural communities and flawed immigration system. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a41079154/netflix-mo-review-palestinian-representation/) - **Paste**, Tara Bennett (8.9): The critic praises the series as a humane and funny semi-autobiographical dramedy that authentically captures the challenges of a Palestinian refugee navigating life, family, work, and immigration limbo in Houston. The slice-of-life style, lived-in performances, and blend of comedy with deeper cultural insights are singled out for praise. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/comedy/mo-tv-show-review) ## Details - **Created by:** Mohammed Amer, Ramy Youssef - **Creator:** Mohammed Amer, Ramy Youssef - **Director:** Solvan Naim, Mohammed Amer - **Writer:** Mohammed Amer, Harris Danow, Sophia Lear, Luvh Rakhe, Adel Kamal, Nichole Beattie, Luis Sivoli, Iturri Sosa, Azhar Usman, Ramy Youssef - **Music:** Karriem Riggins - **Production design:** Carmen Navis - **Cast:** Mohammed Amer as Mo Najjar; Teresa Ruiz as Maria; Farah Bsieso as Yusra Najjar; Omar Elba as Sameer Najjar; Alan Rosenberg as Aba Weinberg; Tobe Nwigwe as Nick; Kamal Zaid as Nazeer; Bassem Youssef as Abood Rahman - **Certificate (MPA):** TV-MA - **Release (the US):** 24 August 2022 - **Genres:** Comedy, Drama - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtohea4CFbE ## Where to watch in the US - Netflix: streaming *Checked 2026-09-12.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Ramy* (2019): Faith, family and American life, with a more uncomfortable sense of humour. - *The Other Side of Hope* (2017): Finnish deadpan comedy finds practical kindness amid the indignities of seeking asylum. - *Bhaji on the Beach* (1993): A Blackpool day trip gives cultural expectations and family grievances room to surface. - *The Visitor* (2007): A quieter immigration drama that makes friendship matter before bureaucracy intervenes. - *We Are Lady Parts* (2021), Fi1m 80: A Muslim punk band negotiates friendship and belonging with considerably more noise. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/tv/we-are-lady-parts.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/mo