Make Me Believe review: Stunning cast and scenic locations barely help this Turkish rom-com to rise above a predictable plot

2.5/5

STORY: After staying apart for a long time, childhood buddies Sarah and Deniz’ paths cross again only for them to realise that the petty fights between them continue to rule the roost.

REVIEW: Netflix’s brand new Turkish rom-com Make Me Believe (Sen Inandir) almost perfectly mixes all the elements required for a charming summer romance, yet it falls short of telling a story with a fresh perspective. Journalist Sahra (Ayça Aysin Turan), who works with a glossy lifestyle magazine in Istanbul, is in hot pursuit of a certain elusive photographer, named Deniz (Ekin Koç). She is at loggerheads with a colleague at work, named Kerem (Kemal Okan Özkan), over a cover story, and an interview with this photographer would potentially help her get a promotion. 

Little did she know that this photographer that she is wishing upon is actually her childhood friend, with whom she shared a love-hate relationship. Now, we need a cupid, don’t we? There are two of them! Oblivious of the fact that their grandkids’ respective jobs are already making way for them to meet again, Sahra and Deniz’ grandmothers trick the two to come visit their old grannies and somehow rekindle their childhood crush and let go of the old grudges.

However, things don’t go as planned, and the two end up fighting with each other even more. Mind you, Sahra still doesn’t know that Deniz is the same photographer she’s been trying to make contacts with. To help things ease up a bit, Sahra’s friend and colleague Ahu (Cagla Irmak) and Deniz’ buddy Ulas (Cagri Citanak) also enter the scene. Despite several attempts to reconcile, things only turned more bitter between the two. So much so that they both end up spending a night under police custody, following the two elderly women’s botched-up trial to make them spend some time together. Eventually, when things started looking up a bit between the two, Deniz came to realise that it was after all only for an interview with him. 

Directed by Evren Karabiyik Günaydin and Murat Saraçoglu, this ​​104-minute film isn’t a love story we have not seen or heard of before. Breathtakingly beautiful locations and youthful energy can keep the plot floating only for so long. Predictable narrative, a lack of depth in the story and lukewarm chemistry between the lead pair make the movie a dull watch. The goofy matchmaker grandmas and the brewing romance between Ahu and Ulas help to keep the story going. 

VERDICT: Make Me Believe makes for a good one-time watch, and that’s it. It’s a feel-good film, lifted by postcard-esque vistas of a scenic seaside Turkish town. Ayça and Ekin could have made an interesting onscreen couple had the story been a little more nuanced and moving. However, despite the predictability factor and template style of storytelling, the movie does end on a good note.