Fatma premiered on 28th April 2021 on Netflix. Directed by Özgür Önurme, the 6-episode long Turkish psychological thriller stars Burcu Biricik in the lead role.
Just A Cleaning Lady?
There is something inevitably intriguing about innocent people getting pulled into the world of murder and darkness. People who don’t make up for stereotypical killers but end up in the same league due to numerous reasons always manage to leave viewers with questions about human capability and more. Adding in its list a Turkish psychological thriller Fatma, Netflix brings to its viewers a riveting series that keeps you hooked.
Fatma revolves around the life of a Fatma Yılmaz, a cleaning lady who earns the bare minimum, only enough to keep her alive. She works in two houses, one office, and a mall. But Fatma is on the edge and is in a continuous search for her husband Zafer who served his time in jail for a crime he covered for. But after his release Zafer was nowhere to be found, it seemed as if he disappeared from the face of the earth. Desperate to find his husband, Fatma visits every nook and corner where she believes he could be – she goes to a restaurant where some of his associates hang out, but her landlord Ismail who eyes her, calls her off.
He warns her about the hatred everyone has for Zafer as he has a lot of debt to pay. She also cleans the office of Zafer’s former boss Bayram Karada, who she believes may know where Zafer is. He’s increasingly frustrated with hearing her questions about Zafer, but he does mention that he owes local criminals money, which may be why he’s hiding.
She decides to visit this goon in search of answers but instead, he cusses her and asks her to pimp herself out in order to repay the debt. It is here everything goes south for Fatma leaving no room for her return or redemption thereafter.
Fatma is entirely carried by Biricik on her shoulders and she undeniably plays her part as the lead character with brilliance and finesse. Most of the time, she has to deal with a slew of bad guys. Both the stereotypical criminal bad guys and the typical chauvinistic men who want to dominate her. While sexual harassment is a common theme, Fatma has a history that allows her body to respond even though her mind appears to be frozen. Her mind draws a parallel between current and past situations pointing towards PTSD and various other mental illnesses.
The series carries a really strong storyline and while it might be common in some aspects, the series is the least predictable. There are twist and turns in the show that’ll make you question the capability of the lead character and the society that surrounds it. The character’s journey down the rabbit hole despite trying for redemption and a way to crawl back up is one of the major intrigue factors of the series.
There are multiple deaths in Fatma and while most of them come as a shock, you will not find yourself questioning the death of the character but rather you’ll be shocked at the suddenness of the loss. Whatever befalls on the character is well deserved.
One of the dialogues that stayed with me after the series is when Fatma takes a truck ride in order to reach her village and search for her husband to tell him that their son is dead (about which he apparently knows and has claimed his son’s blood money too). The truck driver asks her “What will you do with a husband who abandoned you?” and this question marks a moment of change and realization in the series.
Stream It or Skip It
STREAM IT! Fatma is a riveting Turkish thriller with everything about it perfectly blended and place. Whether it’s the storyline or the cast of the show, the show offers a perfect combination of all with a lead character that carries enough layers to leave you thinking.
Fatma is streaming now on Netflix.
Read our other reviews here.
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