"A charming Coming of Age Comedy, with a cross-cultural twist... a film that will leave audiences with a smile on their faces."
-Katarina Gligorijevic, Toronto Film Scene Blog

“Nashef has taken one of America’s most maligned cities as well as one of its most misrepresented populations and created 90 minutes of pure entertainment.”
-Vanessa Farquharson, The National Post

"Beautifully shot and superbly acted, this movie will definitely leave you smiling. I guarantee you will fall in love with every quirky, colourful character who visits this gas station."
-Kathleen Gilbert, Monday Magazine

"Leads EJ Assi and Nada Shouhayib are both tremendously charismatic..."
- Scott Macaulay, Filmmaker Magazine

​"with Nashef’s natural humor and the film’s strong acting performances, there are several moments of comedic brilliance...the tender moments on screen mark Nashef as a director to watch"
​-Ariston Anderson, Filmmaker Magazine

"it has interesting and unexpected rhythms both in its dialogue and situations, and believable chemistry between the romantic leads."
-Meredith Brody, Indiewire's Thomas on Hollywood

Reviews

A fresh take on boy-meets-girl comedy set in Detroit. Sami (E.J. Assi) runs his immigrant family's gas station with his cousin Mike (Mike Batayeh, “Breaking Bad”), a charismatic hustler with dreams of expanding into an unleaded empire. More than just a pit stop for late-night gas and rolling papers, their station is where a steady stream of unforgettable and often hilarious customers flow through. When a gorgeous "up-do girl" named Najlah (Nada Shouhayib) comes to deliver cheap long-distance phone cards, Sami quickly falls for her from behind the bulletproof glass. Afraid her overprotective brother Fadi (Steven Soro) will disapprove, Najlah begins an under-the-counter romance with Sami, making his shift anything but routine.

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​Made and cast in Detroit, the film stars first-time feature actors EJ Assi and Nada Shouhayib, along with Actor/Comedian Mike Batayeh (Breaking Bad, You Don't Mess with the Zohan), Mary Assel, Steven Soro, and Lebanese film and television Star Akram El-Ahmar.
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DETROIT UNLEADED is a slice-of-life romantic comedy that centers around a 24-hour gas station in Detroit.