Baskin

2016 • 96 minutes

About this movie

A five-man unit of cops on night patrol get more than they bargain for when they arrive at a creepy backwater town in the middle of nowhere after a call comes over the radio for backup. Entering a derelict building, the seasoned tough guys and their rookie junior, who's still haunted by a traumatic childhood dream, do the one thing you should never do in this kind of movie: they split up. They soon realize they've stumbled into a monstrous charnel house and descend into an ever-more nightmarish netherworld where grotesque, mind-wrenching horrors await them at every turn. This is one baskin (that’s 'police raid' to you non-Turkish speakers) that isn't going to end well. But wait! Things aren't what they seem in this truly disturbing, outrageously gory, and increasingly surreal film whose unpredictable narrative slippages pull the carpet from under your feet and keep you guessing right up to the final moment. A wildly original whatsit that reconfirms Turkey as the breakout national cinema of the moment.

Ratings and reviews

As one who prefers smart horror films, this was a total let down. Just nasty for the sake of being nasty. But if you're into gross and disturbing, you'll love it.

The movie is a lot like Hellraiser, but much nastier and from a different cultural perspective. The movie is extremely well done on its own, but seeing what a different culture finds terrifying is also gratifying. Highly recommended.

Overall, it feels like this is what would happen if Rob Zombie directed a Turkish spinoff of Hellraiser. The first half is a slow, but very creepy build to the intense and somewhat graphic second half. The ending became somewhat predictable as it went on, but that didn't take anything away from the film. Definitely worth a watch for any horror fan that doesn't mind a little gore.