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Reviews
Siccin 6 (2019)
Basically a really fun and scary superhero origin story...
Siccin series has always been a guilty pleasure for me, knowing that it will mostly lack in material but will compensate with the content brimming with style (a lot of good make up, spooky locations and jump scares.)
In this one however, I can proudly say that Mestci has achieved what seemed almost impossible up till now. He combined the possession formula and a superhero origin story, while keeping the focus of the plot on the possessed family all the way.
Merve Ates(Efsun), (who was and is still my favorite child star in Turkish cinema in recent years) is becoming creepier and creepier (meant as a compliment) She is an innocent looking girl, who, all of a sudden gives a snarky smile and you don't know how to feel about her up until the last moment. Internal family dynamics and the plot is not something to be talked about, but it gets the job done.
Orhan, the protaganist of the third movie is the deus ex machina of Siccin 6 and the mentioned superhero of this strange origins story.
Cinematography and execution in some of the scenes are some of the best for Turkish horror genre. There was a warehouse scene which was mostly shot in a single take, and a semi-subtle creeping dolls scene, both of which managed to impress and scare me.
The problem is the build up, which is somewhat always missing in Alper Mestci's feature length films. The movie begins and at the 11th second jumpscare ensues and it never stops until the end of the movie. Give us a breather kardes! Tell us who these characters are, how they respond to other people, what are their motivations, etc. And only after then, the plot twist that you were hoping to shock us will earn some credibility.
My second complaint is related with the pacing and the style of the scares. There was one specific scene where the character woke from 3 layers of nightmares and there were still some supernatural stuff going on in her room. Maybe take some inspiration from Asian horror instead of the tired "it was all a dream" trope?
All in all a very successful and fun ride. Anyone who has enjoyed at least 1 movie from the series will surely love this one. It is really easy to get into as an outsider even if you are unfamiliar with the local culture. So anyone who would like to get into Turkish horror, watch Siccin 3 and Siccin 6 back to back to see what Turkish movie makers are capable of.
Kudos to everyone who is involved!
Pyewacket (2017)
A solid coming of age slow burner
Pyewacket is a hidden gem for the lovers of the horror genre that might stay with you as "it follows" or "the babadook" did. Sure it does not have the scale or the production values, it does not have a major scope but it tells a slow, personal story with style and credibility. The movie is slow, but not in a pretentious and artsy way. It tells its story without flashy effects or jump scares and relies on character building. You can feel the transition the mother and daughter has been through, and you can see Leah's self esteem wavering when she needs to be sincerely accepted. The lore is simply there to move the story and does it in a subtle but impressing way. Everything from acting to music to visuals completes what comes out as this hidden gem called "Pyewacket". Watch it and see for yourself but know what you are getting into and do not judge the movie for what it's not.
Midnight Express (1978)
And here I thought Turkish people were xenophobic
Midnight Express was actually a pretty big issue in Turkey around my childhood. It was accepted as a successful but misguided movie by Turkish critics. And the message it delivers was a thorn on the society to a degree. It was banned for a long time and I believe I've had a chance to watch the movie on television around 92-92. Watching it again in 2018 made me question a lot of the views I've had as a child. Just take me as a neutral viewer since I've tried so hard to stay that way throughout the movie (and believe me it was difficult). The movie begins slowly, and makes it pretty clear that the only logical and dignified/civilised people that Bill can interact are the other foreigners at the jail. Any Turkish person they come in contact either prisoner or guard or prosecutor etc. etc. Do not have a speck of dignity. I am not talking about evil, or dangerous, Just flat out degenerates. And this one sided aprroach doe not show any indication of change throughout the movie. He might as well have been sent to jail in Mars and you would not know the difference. The character that we are expected to sympathise with follows the rules right up until the point when he cannot anymore and flat out demolishes a whole nation with a tirade so undercooked, you eyeballs would roll up back to your brain. The cinematography is hellish but the pace is so dull that you would force yourself to stay awake at certain intervals. The acting is surprisingly over the top and distracting that one cannot emphasize or understand the characters' state of mind. And the movie just ends abruptly without any logical build up whatsoever. So all in all, yes this movie can be divisive but at the same time one should consider if the movie has the quality to be discussed so intensely? Does it deserve attention on such magnitude or does it simply feed on the phobias of the western nations on foreign cultures and tells a pathetic story just for the sake of being disturbing?
The Social Network (2010)
Not as good or interesting as you'd hope it will be
Based on a novel telling the story of a guy who just became a phenomenon 3-4 years prior to the movie. I would suggest that they should have waited a mere ten years more just to include more dramatic law suits. What I'm trying to say is; yes the acting is amazing (I would definitely praise Andrew Garfield to no end), visuals are striking with a densely green/yellow pallet and even the music by Trent Reznor is extraordinary. The problem is the source material or the way it's told. It's just not very intriguing. The first hour was not able to keep me in line or interested enough and only in the second half the movie started to increase the pace (which is a major problem for a 2h movie if you ask me). I don't know how he is in real life (and I'm thinking he is probably pretty similar) but in here, Mark is a repulsive guy that is speaking fast and monotone hence we assume he is a misunderstood genius. Nope, what Erica said at the beginning was correct. However at the end of the movie, we as the viewer also get the same treatment and guided that he is "not an prick, just trying too hard to be one" which actually makes him more difficult to sympathize. And if someone says "you were not supposed to sympathize with this Mark here" then I would ask, why are we watching the life of a fast speaking, bickering and back stabbing prick who has no redeeming qualities, with the lack of an interesting plot. Not David Fincher's finest and definitely not worth the rating
After the Dark (2013)
Sucker Punch without the action and a resemblance of logic...
This exactly describes the catastrophe that is "the philosophers". The characters are cute and cuddly with all the required diversity that is obligatory on modern mainstream cinema. The story is fun even though non-sensical and without any dread and urgency. The characters are in an assumption realm on a point it is never explained when they know what they know or how they know it. Some things happen and you are asking yourself "how?" And then the movie explains and you are asking yourself "why?". The movie is trying too hard to tell a story which is clearly above the calibers and intentions of the director and the production company. A simple young-adult movie in the shoes of Twilight or Hunger Games, nothing more. So please, next time give a warning on the front cover that this is a young adult movie for our young superficial crowd. We want to appear to tell a grand story on the nature of mankind and they want to appear satisfied and consent on what we are telling all the while neither us nor them know what the hell we are talking about.
The visuals were nice though so that's a plus...
Siccin 5 (2018)
Turkish horror finding its click
Most people would argue that Turkish Horror is depending far too much on local and national values that is restricted with conservative point of view. Thus, would appear silly and goofy to any who is not familiar with the notions. However when done correctly (and densely I might say) it is surely effective.
And with Alper Mestçi it is mostly the case. He has shown promise with his first film "Musallat" and he is getting better and better with each movie. Siccin 5 is a movie that is lacking on character build. The motivations are blurry or almost non-sensical, however the machinations of the jump scares, the moody atmosphere certainly makes up for this.
The little girl, dream sequences, scary faces popping out left and right might feel like all of this is only done for the sake of horror and not telling a completely coherent story. That is my only beef with this flick. As I have said this is a director always going on the right path, improving himself. But still there is room for improvement on the story telling part. The characters does not appear real, their interactions with the real world is not there. You cannot see the distinction of what is happening on the screen and what is happening in their daily life. So you cannot entirely emphasize the dread they are feeling, you cannot put yourself in their shoes.
As I've said give it a chance, at the very least you will find it different and intriguing.