20 Best Foreign Movies Of 2016
4. Mustang
Imagine if Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides was transferred to
the oppressive patriarchy of conservative Turkish society, and you’ll have a
pretty good idea of what director Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s debut feature Mustang
is about. After they commit a completely innocent transgression, five
rebellious orphaned sisters being raised by their domineering grandmother and
abusive uncle are put under lockdown while granny dearest attempts to marry
them off to suitable suitors who can tame them into being nice, passive,
traditional girls.
That might all sound very heavy-handed, but Mustang is actually a warm and at times funny film despite the subject matter at its heart, bolstered by engaging, natural performances from the five actresses playing the sisters and a satisfyingly uplifting finale.