Don’t Leave is a Turkish romantic drama about two ex-lovers’ new lives after their split. The movie stars Burak Deniz playing the lead character “Semih” along with co-star Dilan Çiçek Deniz playing his ex-girlfriend. Furthermore, Don’t Leave (also known as Kal) is written by Sami Berat Marçali and directed by Ozan Aciktan.
The full cast of the movie includes Burak Deniz, Dilan Çiçek Deniz, Ceyda Düvenci, Berrak Tüzünataç, Şükran Ovalı, Ersin Arıcı and Dolunay Soysert. The movie runs for 107 minutes, available in English and Turkish language.
The Netflix official description of the film reads as:
Semih’s girlfriend suddenly breaks up with him. In search of answers about their relationship, he must soon confront what he had long ignored.
-Don’t Leave Review Does Not Contain Spoilers-
The film starts with Semih at his friend’s bar, Dante, where his friend Nazim asks why he hasn’t come to the bar for 3 years since it opened. Then, Nazim asks about Defne, and the scene switches to Semih’s memory. In the next scene, we can see Semih at a bar, drunk and happy, looking at a blonde woman. He approaches her and kisses her suddenly, to which she slaps him. This is where the audience gets to know that she is Defne, Semih’s current ex.
In the next few series of scenes, the audience can see Semih’s past and present, denoting that Semih constantly has Defne’s memories every now and then. Then we are introduced to Ozge, Semih’s coworker with whom Semih builds a sexual attraction. While they both try to make things work out, Semih still is caught up in Defne’s memories. The movie then proceeds to show how Semih accepts his reality and finds an answer.
The film feels stale as the memories of Defne and Semih are constantly shown, which doesn’t give much focus to Semih’s character development. Speaking of the supporting actors, Semih’s step-brother and his role don’t feel necessary, and it feels stuffed to elaborate the script. Whereas Nazim’s character plays an important role as he acts as Semih’s well-wisher, but sadly, there aren’t enough scenes to show his importance.
The lead characters’ chemistry is wonderful and feels natural, which is a pro. The steamy scenes are a game-changer for Burak Deniz, as fans have never seen him play an exotic role as such. While Burak Deniz fans might enjoy the movie for the man’s charms, the plot is pretty boring. There isn’t a wow factor that would make the audience blush by watching the romance of the leads. There are love-making scenes, but one can’t only just watch that to feel the goosebumps, right?
Next, one could easily suspect the end as the story doesn’t give the audience any mystery or suspense to unfold. The plot naturally builds in a routine that’s similar to many other movies. Moreover, Semih having sex with multiple women to forget Defne feels a bit cliche. Again, the movie has a lot of steamy scenes, but that alone isn’t enough.
The movie could have shown Defne’s pov for people to have different thoughts regarding the ending. Showing only Semih’s life missed out on the importance of Defne’s part and also ultimately made it easy to figure out the end. Moreover, the frames were pretty dull and sad. While it is understandable that it denoted the Semih’sgloomy heart, it once again made the ending easy to predict.
Don’t Leave – The Wrap-up
Overall, on a scale of 10, I would personally rate this a 5 for it lacked a unique plot, had many cliché concepts, had unnecessary supporting actors, important supporting actors weren’t given much focus, and the co-leads’ life story was void. The why, how and what’s next factors weren’t justified well. Additionally, the film had no particular soundtracks to back the emotions, so it made the movie feel too quiet.
If you wish to watch this film, check it out on Netflix and let us know what you feel about the movie.
Also Read: Maybe Today (Ngayon Kaya) Review: Tale of Love and Its Tragedies