"Baskin", the debut feature film by director Can Evrenol, is perhaps one of the most surreal and mind-blowing movies of 2015. It is a phantasmic trip through the bowels of Hell, drenched in a creepy atmosphere from beginning to end. Style is as tantamount while the narrative is effective in its simplicity. Mr Evrenol’s use of orange and blue tones help create stark and engaging visuals, a wise choice over the typical straight blackness.
The film is overflowing with symbolism and Turkish cultural references, with so many little clues easily slipping by without being noticed. The movie is entertaining as hell but if you recognize the symbolism, then the film is that much more rewarding. Beware, the narrative is not presented in a linear fashion, sometimes looping back around in an unexpected way, making "Baskin" one of those films that you will need to watch more than once, when you're ready, to be able to fully enjoy. I love that every detail has a purpose.
A spoiler free review, "Baskin" follows a Turkish police squad during a seemingly typical night on patrol during the night in some rural area that's never truly defined. They begin their night at a family-owned restaurant, experience some odd events on the road, and finally end up in an Ottoman-era police station in the haunted town of Inceagac. The night is a steady decent into Hell itself and its frightening denizens caught between agony and ecstasy. Hell is very sexual and violent, and escape is impossible.
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