Summary
Not the most original, but the Turkish seaside town adds to the drama of Last Summer.
This review of the Turkish Netflix film Last Summer (2021) contains no spoilers. The film will be streaming on Netflix on 9 July 2021.
An understated Turkish romantic drama that focuses on the feeling a teenager has as they come to age. It’s a neat little story that follows the lead character, Deniz (played by Enver Ceylan), as he tries to have sex whilst spending the summer with his family in their vacation home. He meets a girl that he likes, called Asli (played by Ece Çesmioglu), but of course, not everything is smooth sailing like all teen dramas.
Anyone seeking a coming-of-age film will find that Last Summer fits the bill. Like most teenage-themed films, it has lots of cringe-worthy actions from the characters. But of course, what teenager isn’t awkward? If anything, this makes Netflix’s Last Summer true to life.
One side note, in the promotion for the film, it’s labeled as taking place in 1996. In some countries, it’s even titled Summer ’96. However, early on in Last Summer, it’s shown that the year is 1997. An error, perhaps? Regardless, the film doesn’t make the most of the era. There’s little that suggests we’re watching a film set in the 90s.
Last Summer is easily too long. The closing 20 minutes do not add much to the arc, and it leaves you wondering what the purpose of putting them in was. Instead, a short, fulfilling 5-minute scene could have done the trick.
Regardless, the cast is impressive to watch; they make the characters believable even though most of them are, in reality, a lot older than the characters they play. The Turkish setting of a local beach adds to the story and makes the film more enjoyable as a whole.
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