38 reviews
Its different, its refreshing. Its a rollercoaster of emotions. The story flows and you just keep watching bc you're curious how the dots are going to connect. Its about a family with secrets, mental health issues, some lonely, misunderstood, but most of all interesting. I actually loved the absurdity. Especially the scenes with Haluk Bilginer was amazing, he cracked me up. BRILLIANT acting (even the performance of little girl Ece), directing, production, music, casting. And the last episode is the best, it has some genius overlaps between conversations from one scene to another. Bravo!
The plot may appear to be promising, but it is not... They had, in my opinion, overlooked the main point of the story by excessively focusing on visual work. I mean, they did not include a simple heroic step (points) for Oktay and other characters proceeded very slowly-indeed, one could argue that there was no sign of character development. Do you think I am exaggerating? Then only watch the first and last two episodes; you will not miss anything (except very groovy angles, athmosphere, and desing.)
In addition, the intentions to depict skewed social dynamics and oppression (even ostracism) in certain scenes touched me, but those are just brief moments.
In addition, the intentions to depict skewed social dynamics and oppression (even ostracism) in certain scenes touched me, but those are just brief moments.
- firatberkk
- Apr 5, 2022
- Permalink
Uysallar is the story of a successful architect in a midlife and identity crisis who (barely) tries to keep his dysfunctional family together while looking to find closure from his past (traumatized by his emotionally distant, egoistic and stern father) in the times of the dog eat dog, fast-living, consumeristic, and "you don't know your neighbors anymore" type of world.
A promising package overall...interesting set up of a plot and characters, good camera work, for the most part good acting, great soundtrack(even though barely any punk rock), top locations, lovely production design, funky graphics. Especially when you consider that the vast landscape of turkish tv show industry (which is the world's fastest growing and Second highest television series exporter after the US) has been and is still delivering for the most part mainstream and mediocre productions full of outdated images of society(gender clichés, nationalism and overblown drama).
And here comes the BUT: The series felt like a bag of many good ideas that are thrown together like puzzle pieces with the hope they will come out as a perfect whole somehow. The main flaw is that there was no thorough commitment to explore the choices, motives, sub-stories of many important characters(especially Nil, Ege, Mert, Moloz and Fevzi). This affected their relatability on the one hand, and mattered a big deal to the choices of the main protagonist and the dynamics of the story on the other. They simply needed more depth and hence more time for exposure. Maybe it was not a creative decision but budgetary, maybe there will be a second season, which I doubt, but who knows.
In the end, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. But also, I still think the glass is half full.
A promising package overall...interesting set up of a plot and characters, good camera work, for the most part good acting, great soundtrack(even though barely any punk rock), top locations, lovely production design, funky graphics. Especially when you consider that the vast landscape of turkish tv show industry (which is the world's fastest growing and Second highest television series exporter after the US) has been and is still delivering for the most part mainstream and mediocre productions full of outdated images of society(gender clichés, nationalism and overblown drama).
And here comes the BUT: The series felt like a bag of many good ideas that are thrown together like puzzle pieces with the hope they will come out as a perfect whole somehow. The main flaw is that there was no thorough commitment to explore the choices, motives, sub-stories of many important characters(especially Nil, Ege, Mert, Moloz and Fevzi). This affected their relatability on the one hand, and mattered a big deal to the choices of the main protagonist and the dynamics of the story on the other. They simply needed more depth and hence more time for exposure. Maybe it was not a creative decision but budgetary, maybe there will be a second season, which I doubt, but who knows.
In the end, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. But also, I still think the glass is half full.
- yurdakul-peksen
- Apr 9, 2022
- Permalink
This series is definitely not meant for the mainstream. It is more an arthouse-style series. If you watched other Turkish Netflix series, this is comparable with Ethos / Bir Baskadir. Unique characters, unique storytelling, unique work. It is slow but still moves forward. It has an amazing soundtrack and the DOP also made a good job, the visuals are incredible. Hakan Günday is known for his left political opinion and you can find many hidden messages and criticism regarding the government in this series. But the criticism is also going beyond the Turkish border - it is rather a global / social criticism. Everyone can feel free to be offended.
- ultra-taya
- Apr 4, 2022
- Permalink
When the guy from trainspotting got a bag full of money, he decided to become and architect and settle down. He forgot about his past as a drug addict punk and focused on his family and career. He has a great apartment, kids, an engineer house wife. But once he turns 40, all this is not enough. He is longing for his youth. His everyday life becomes unbearable. And he is dressing up with his punk outfit, paying for the vacation and the drugs of some homeless punks. End of the story.
The only reason why you should watch this thing is Haluk Bilginer. He is fantastic and hilarious. You can't figure out if he really exists or if it's simply a hallucination of the protagonist. He really gets the vibe of what this series should be. Unfortunately the rest of the actors cannot keep up with his excellent approach.
The only reason why you should watch this thing is Haluk Bilginer. He is fantastic and hilarious. You can't figure out if he really exists or if it's simply a hallucination of the protagonist. He really gets the vibe of what this series should be. Unfortunately the rest of the actors cannot keep up with his excellent approach.
- viso-74310
- Oct 8, 2022
- Permalink
I and my wife really enjoyed this series. The subject is different than what we see Turkish series and acting is perfect. Onur Saylak is a great director. I recommend it to anybody.
- e-caglarpinar
- Apr 1, 2022
- Permalink
- maytekinaliyeva
- Apr 20, 2022
- Permalink
You have to understand Today's politics in Turkey in order to enjoy this unique tv series. Well done, well directed and acted. Erdogan lovers and followers will not understand what was is this series about and they will post their one star reviews. Just watch and enjoy.
Onur Saylak and Hakan Gunday did a great job by creating this series. Some dialogs were written for readers, which doesn't suit TV language. Also, the characters don't resolve as they should, and many stories are left untold. You expect a strong breakdown from the main character or an opening throughout the series, but it never arrives. The Punk character of Oktay didn't serve him enough.
An absolute watch though. Great cinematography with absurd & lovely characters. The storyline gives chills to anybody who lived Punk life style through those years.
An absolute watch though. Great cinematography with absurd & lovely characters. The storyline gives chills to anybody who lived Punk life style through those years.
- gokaygedik-18495
- Apr 4, 2022
- Permalink
"Comedy" again? Netflix Why can't you leave this genre in Turkish series? Do you really not know that if you remove the "Comedy" part and show a more "SERIOUS" theme in drama genre (or any other genre in Turkish series), you will attract more viewers?
Please make SERIOUS Turkish series and you'll see the results ( Worldwide Trending )
Please make SERIOUS Turkish series and you'll see the results ( Worldwide Trending )
This is an unusual script, and I'm sure many people looking for something easy to digest will hate it, but I thought it was excellent. I particularly enjoyed the unconventional ending. The acting is also superb and the cinematography is good. The humor is very dry and dark. It's not exactly rolling on the floor laughing funny but it is engaging and some of the situations are so uncomfortably silly that there is no other appropriate response other than laughter.
- kaanatakan
- Mar 31, 2022
- Permalink
I think the topic is interesting but I had expected it to be more on the line of a comedy. I watched it regardless because of Haluk Bilginer as I like his acting. And as always his acting was great. The persona of Nil Uysal is copied from apple+ series Physical.
- sweetyleaf-348-101406
- Mar 31, 2022
- Permalink
Absurdity of the situations felt too much for my taste. Nothing gets an answer or an ending. There is this huge build-up with a very shallow fall. It felt like show could use another season to dive deeper. Give some conclusions(not happy ending but maybe a catastrophic one). I felt pretty invested in the oktay character with a proper development for him, then it just went poof and nothing happened.
I applaud the city scenes and cinematography they kept me very interested most scenes. But story wise its a total failure.
I applaud the city scenes and cinematography they kept me very interested most scenes. But story wise its a total failure.
Story is well written, actors are good too. It was a good description of today's Turkey except economic conditions. Wife was too annoying and by that you can understand that she acted very well. Father figure also a mess. I wonder if there will be a season 2.
Good script, engaging plot. Well acted and directed. Some amazing locations and overall good cinematography. Characters are developed steadily over the course of the series. Soundtrack was well chosen.
It kept my attention the whole way through and had some intriguing twists and turns. I would not describe it as a comedy - dark comedy in places perhaps.
The final episode was incredible. Perhaps not to everybodys tastes but it was done to perfection. Songül Öden (Nils) deserves special credit for an outstanding performance in the final episode.
Yes, there are questions left unanswered. But, given the final scenes, I can only assume there will be a second series. There certainly deserves to be.
Well done to everyone involved, it is an outstanding piece of work.
It kept my attention the whole way through and had some intriguing twists and turns. I would not describe it as a comedy - dark comedy in places perhaps.
The final episode was incredible. Perhaps not to everybodys tastes but it was done to perfection. Songül Öden (Nils) deserves special credit for an outstanding performance in the final episode.
Yes, there are questions left unanswered. But, given the final scenes, I can only assume there will be a second series. There certainly deserves to be.
Well done to everyone involved, it is an outstanding piece of work.
- JackDuckworthsTechnoPigeon
- May 2, 2022
- Permalink
It tells a universal story of a man who once believed in punk, anarchy and ultimate freedom. Yet he is chained to his own comfortable life. He's drowning and he's strugling to free himself. This may sound like another sad midlife crisis drama story, but it isn't. This is particularly interesting because the series doesn't feel sad at all.
The references to current Turkish politics or societal issues are just unimportant details of side stories and have no impact on the main story.
The first two episodes are pretty boring, they probably had to be because that's how it makes the most sense. And that also increases the fun of the later episodes. Later episodes, especially the last two, are incredibly good. So patience is rewarded. You will find very good directing, very good acting and lots of thoughts about life with different perspectives.
The references to current Turkish politics or societal issues are just unimportant details of side stories and have no impact on the main story.
The first two episodes are pretty boring, they probably had to be because that's how it makes the most sense. And that also increases the fun of the later episodes. Later episodes, especially the last two, are incredibly good. So patience is rewarded. You will find very good directing, very good acting and lots of thoughts about life with different perspectives.
Some things feel forced and unnatural. Like, I don't get why the family hired that photographer to take their multiple portraits? That's an upper class thing. The main actor is not supposed to be that rich as he hasn't got money from his family and he's a regular white collar architect at a firm, not his own firm or anything. Don't get why they are shown as being so affluent, in real life someone like him would be living way more modestly. I don't think class is represented well and it is a major part of the show. I love Gunday's books but this didn't work for me unfortunately.
Im from turkey and i can honestly say other Netflix shoes of ours are just trash but this one made me shock. This is one of the best shoes in Netflix and ITS from turkey i cant believe my eyes we finaly did something.
- mehmetefekadilar
- Apr 6, 2022
- Permalink
- homoleopapyon
- Mar 29, 2022
- Permalink
If you are bored of same scenarios and characters "Uysallar" gives you a different taste ...A good view of the challenges of modern society...Lost dreams, broken relations, living under same roof without knowing each other, trying to find peace...Nice series!
- dersim-43354
- Apr 3, 2022
- Permalink
Hakan Gunday is a great writer/screenwriter. Onur Saylak is a great director. In addition to these, a great cast selection and very good songs set the series apart. Netflix Turkey has set the bar very high. I hope such projects continue.
- yusufpiskin
- Apr 2, 2022
- Permalink
Good acting, an interesting scnenario, ending might make you feel is that really the end or will there be an another season? Definitely worth to watch.
- ahmetgokcekolukisa
- Apr 17, 2022
- Permalink
I read some of the reviews and I'm not sure we all saw the same series. Someone commented that they liked the, "unconventional ending" and another person said that, "the last episode was the best." Really? I loved it except for the last episode. And I'm not alone, homoleopapyon said it best, "You are waiting for something to happen and the show is acting like something is gonna happen but it never happens and the show ends." Mefkune pointed out that, "Nothing gets an answer." Algsara commented that, "... began and ended while I was waiting for something to happen." And they are all spot on. Other than the non-ending I loved it - the locations, the music, the unique story, it was intriguing, different, and fun.
- bparker-85703
- Apr 10, 2022
- Permalink
I'm not convinced that this is a political series, yes, there is a slight touch upon the daily struggles of White Turks, but it is not so much about that. The acting is incredible, so natural; the storyline is fantastic, sometimes you laugh and sometimes it gets you depressed. It has elements within it that all of us struggle with. The series also touches on each generation's own problem, child, teenager, husband, wife and elderly dad. All of them have their issues, somewhat connected but somewhat not. It is about the freedom of being who you really are or trying to find out what you want to be.
- ilgazdemirel
- May 6, 2022
- Permalink
Really, what is this job... Do I do a full job in order to show the director's capabilities without any apparent story.. If the director wants to showcase his capabilities, let him make a video clip.. The show began and ended while I was waiting for something to happen from the story... Netflix again produces series that have no meaning.