The Things You Kill

Alireza Khatami
DISTRIBUTION
release date Wed 31 Dec 25

Ali is haunted by the suspicious death of his mother and the discovery of her abuse by his father. Filled with anger and guilt, he gazes into the abyss of his own soul.

Ali, a university professor, is haunted by the mysterious death of his sick mother. He discovers that his father abused her while he was abroad. Tormented by guilt and anger, he suspects foul play and plots revenge. On a plot of land where he tends a vegetable garden, he meets a mysterious man who further fuels his dark plans.

A tense psychological thriller that blends Turkish realism with Lynchian mystery. The film portrays a suffocating portrait of fathers and sons, where violence and guilt are passed down as a toxic inheritance. In long, drawn-out scenes, a bleak drama unfolds about the stifling influence of patriarchy and the burden of masculinity, with stunning landscapes reminiscent of Nuri Bilge Ceylan's work.

direction
Alireza Khatami
cast
Doga Dortdogan, Hazar Ergüçlü, Ercan Kesal
duration
114 min
release date
Wed 31 Dec 25
year
2024
country
Turkey
language
Turkish
Subtitles
French, Dutch
  • Caution with children up to 16 years of age
  • Violence
  • Foul language

Absorbing, suspenseful, and deeply moving — a case study in how to make an effective psychological thriller.