I am a pushover for revenge movies, so it’s no surprise that Turkey’s Grudge (sometimes billed as Kin) gets a thumbs-up from me. This intriguing thriller, directed by Turkan Derya, focuses on a character who kills someone in self-defense and then becomes the investigator of the case. Chief Investigator Harun, played by Yilmaz Erdogan (who also wrote the screenplay) soon must face the consequences of his actions while also trying to protect his police officers and his own reputation. Plus, he has a lot to learn about certain people harboring a serious grudge against him.

Erdogan turns in an excellent performance in this difficult role. His facial expressions and body language tell us so much about how conflicted Harun feels as the story progresses. Although we can’t approve of Harun’s behavior when he does the wrong thing like hiding incriminating evidence, Erdogan still makes us somewhat compassionate for this troubled character. While watching Harun, I couldn’t help thinking “Nobody’s perfect, right?”

Longtime grudge turns revenge crime,

then hits its target just in time.

Chief inspector is soon to be

promoted for the world to see.

No drama please, his boss requests.

Can this Chief pass all of his tests?

A body hanging from a crane

causes commotion and deep pain.

Surprise and tension fill the screen.

So be prepared for extra mean.

Betrayal gets a showcase here.

       And Turkish thriller oozes fear.        

Along with Erdogan’s watchable acting, Cem Vigit Uzümogli and Duygun Sarasin impressed me with their splendid work here. They both stand out. Uzümogli caught my attention as one of Harun’s underlings who watches  him closely. And the beautiful Sarasin almost burns up the screen in her character’s mysterious interrogation scene. 

For sheer entertainment, the idea of someone investigating a crime in which they were involved fascinates me. That’s probably one of the reasons why I enjoyed Knives Out in 2019. Yes, that film ended with a different conclusion, but the corpse’s nurse played by Ana de Armas thought she was guilty when she joined up with the detective (Daniel Craig) to find out if the victim committed suicide or was murdered. And that movie seemed more like an amusing Agatha Christie mystery than a grim thriller like Grudge.     

Fortunately, that idea works almost as well in this film as it did in Knives Out.

Grudges are often worse enemies than pain. --- Erin Forbes

An eye for an eye, and the whole world would be blind. --- Kahlil Gibran

(Released by Netflix and rated TV-MA.)