2 Best Movies to Watch by Uluç Bayraktar

The fact that 10 Days of a Good Man feels so similar to many other hard-boiled detective stories still means there are reliable thrills to be had here for fans of the genre. But twists and turns and a suitably gruff lead performance by Nejat Isler can't make up for how the film seems so convinced of its own coolness. The more that they emphasize that Sadik is really a modest kind of tough guy with a big heart and an energy that just seems to draw women and dangerous people towards him, the more insincere it comes across. And as the convoluted central mystery continues to pile on details without engaging in much actual investigation, the more the whole thing feels like posturing to champion a very traditional and superficial idea of masculinity that Sadik embodies.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller

Actor: Nejat İşler, Nur Fettahoğlu, Şenay Gürler

Director: Uluç Bayraktar

Rating: R

At first it really seems like 10 Days of a Bad Man has learned from the mistakes of its unoriginal, self-satisfied predecessor. This sequel has a more distinct personality in general, with a better overall look and a more unique central mystery that doesn't only deal with edgy underground trafficking rings. But it doesn't take long to realize that this film still has the exact same attitude towards its protagonist Sadik, who refuses to develop in any meaningful way and whom the movie still lionizes as some impossibly charming but sexily flawed example of masculinity.

And throughout this ultimately pointless and hastily resolved mystery that makes no impact at the end, this 50-year-old man can't even confront his grief in an interesting way—choosing instead to strike up a relationship with an 18-year-old girl whose only function in the story is to try and seduce him. Because nothing says getting over the death of a loved one than grooming the young woman whom you've known since she was a minor.

Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery

Actor: Erdal Yildiz, Ilayda Akdogan, Nejat İşler, Nur Fettahoğlu, Şenay Gürler

Director: Uluç Bayraktar

Rating: R