“An extremely effective blend of social issues and existential ponderings.”

In what can most appropriately be described as a collision between Samuel Beckett and Abbas Kiarostami, we find Murat Fıratoğlu standing at the helm of one of the most ambitious debut directorial efforts of the year, One of Those Days When Hemme Dies, a tragicomic account of a conflicted laborer in modern-day Turkey who forms a vitriolic vendetta against the foreman that has taken advantage of him, and decides to plot revenge, which stirs many polarized opinions from those around the periphery of the situation. A simple but very effective drama that carries immense weight in terms of both its thematic content and socio-cultural underpinnings, the film is a fascinating character study in which the director takes an intriguing premise and allows it to flourish into a bold and daring examination of the human condition, albeit one that begins to veer away from convention the further it dives into the layers of subtext found throughout the story. Considering this is his first directorial outing, there are several impressive details in terms of both the narrative and its execution that signal Fıratoğlu’s potential to be an exciting voice in contemporary cinema, and the intrepid style of storytelling aids in overcoming some of the slight flaws that are embedded in the film as part of the director’s development of his artistic voice. The perfect blend of peculiar and melancholic, One of Those Days When Hemme Dies is a deeply unnerving examination of revenge and the toll it can take on those unprepared for the consequences.

There are many fascinating narrative and thematic strands that make up One of Those Days When Hemme Dies, a film that is much deeper than we would expect based on a glance at the premise. On the surface, this is a film about death, which is presented in the vengeful actions of the protagonist against the man who has chosen to abuse his power, and now has to face the consequences. Fıratoğlu crafts something that sits at the intersection between a classical fable that carries an important moral, and a slightly theatrical revenge tale, which are essentially two sides of the same thematic coin, particularly in how they both intend to explore fate and consequences. Interwoven into the central narrative are conversations around culture, particularly life in contemporary Turkey for the working class. Taking place almost entirely in the countryside with a few brief sojourns into the local small town, the film uses its limited scope as a way of exploring the daily routine of these characters, quickly homing in on one particular character as he launches a one-person crusade against a notoriously difficult superior. This unearths some fascinating discourse around class structure, social stratification and the plight of the blue-collar workers who are viewed as expendable labor, but possess both a disdain towards authority and a desire to seize control by any means necessary. Fıratoğlu combines these ideas together in creative and engaging ways, and finds unique components in an otherwise quite straightforward premise.

Based on the simplicity of the narrative, One of Those Days When Hemme Dies could have ventured in many different directions in terms of tone and overall execution. Mercifully, the director chooses to avoid overt sentimentality or an abundance of heavy-handed social commentary, instead crafting the film as a more slow-paced, ruminative piece that develops into a meditative existential odyssey, following the protagonist as he goes through the motions of plotting revenge. The film is told in a bare-bones, mostly unfurnished style, where the camera places the viewer at a distance from these characters, creating the sense that we are peering into their lives rather than actively participating in the journey alongside the protagonist, which situates the audience as voyeurs into their day-to-day routine and its gradual dismantling during the day when the film takes place. For some, this approach is cold and clinical, and can lack the substance to honor the complex components of the narrative, but the director clearly possesses the self-assurance to use this intentional distance as a powerful narrative tool. The approach also massively benefits from the cast, with Fıratoğlu (who also stars in the film) in particular being a fascinating protagonist, playing the part of this man caught between abiding by the law and falling victim to the continuous cycle of abuse and exploitation faced by the working class, or making a bold decision that may stir extreme consequences for him, but improve conditions for those that come after him. It’s often quite brutal and sharply defined, but this only further amplifies the underlying message. The more measured pace and slightly ambiguous conclusion should not be cause for misunderstanding or misinterpretation – One of Those Days When Hemme Dies is a radical work, albeit one that reveals itself in a steady, gradual manner, choosing to approach its themes as a slow burn rather than an explosion. There are many layers to this film, and it takes time to fully understand each one of them. Fıratoğlu weaves a complex depiction of the human condition, which he views as something simultaneously beautiful and savage, and impossible to condense into a single coherent stream of ideas. He takes a concept that could have potentially been overwrought under the wrong approach, and pieces together a harsh but captivating story of revenge and the consequences that exist on both sides of a violent act. The answers to the lingering questions are not always clear, and it can sometimes come across as somewhat frustrating to see how the film meanders at certain points – but by the time we reach the striking conclusion, everything has fallen into place. A strong debut in terms of both narrative and style, One of Those Days When Hemme Dies proves to be an extremely effective blend of social issues and existential ponderings, and firmly establishes Fıratoğlu as an essential new voice in contemporary cinema.