Indie Film Review “Pretty” A fantasy-horror mash-up that satisfies while showcasing indie film’s more straightforward nature and execution
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First, the Recap:
The nature of curiosity. We want answers. When confronted with that which there is no immediate explanation for, we tend to allow our innate desire to dig in and discover truths of a situation to drive us. Normally, this would not be a bad thing at all, for often we educate ourselves in the process, perhaps gaining newfound knowledge that could serve us moving forward. However, there are some facts that we might still learn, but the results of it are not what we would wish for.
Already attempting to handle feeling unseen and alone, Pretty (Melisa Kihtir) still attempts to make something of her lonely life. With parents away and only her somewhat dismissive sister Emma (Saran Duren) to keep company with, Pretty longs for connection. When a walk in the woods brings her into contact with the ghost of a girl named Betty (Alina Zakharova), ominous occurrences begin plaguing her at home, sending her down an unnerving road of revelation, deception, and dark secrets.
Next, my Mind:
I say it often, and will therefore state it again, that the entirety of the horror genre, in all its wide range of styles, remains a cautionary path for this critic to travel down. I have most likely also stated that when it is done right, it can have impact, though when done wrong, it simply becomes an exercise in eye-roll-inducing tedium. Now, this all covered, what IS fascinating to me is to experience a film within said genre that heralds from another country, which I still only have limited encounters with since horror is still a relatively new foray I’ve chosen to embrace. Hence, when it came to this new indie feature film from Turkish writer/director/cinematographer/editor/composer Metecan Duren, I went into it with an equally cautious air of optimism and mild trepidation. Fortunately, overall, the film is solidly executed, low-budget effort that revels in what it succeeds in while showcasing elements that could perhaps still use a little more polishing.
I have only had the opportunity to review one other Turkish director’s work, Yunus Sevik‘s “Kulyas: Lantin Bedeli” and its 2025 sequel, “Kulyas 2: Zikr-i Ayin“, both of which were higher budget, theatrically released efforts. So, it was a pleasure to see a small budget project from a newly rising young talent, an artist who wears many hats when it comes to his films, and whose passion for storytelling is what stuck out most for this critic in this newest film’s case. The narrative we’re provided here sees the trials of a young woman who only wants to be accepted and appreciated suddenly forced to confront the cost of her own curiosity when the enigmatic ghost of another young woman spurs an investigation into the past, arcane rituals, harsh truths, and frightening realities of the present, both human and otherwise.
It feels steeped in facets of supernatural/mythical as well as psychological horror, which is frankly the grander styles of horror this critic personally prefers, and as mentioned above, the film does succeed in displaying these aspects with adept and fruitful skill. I will say that there is very much a slow-burn approach to the story which, hey, is perfectly fine, especially as independent cinema thrives on character-centric narrative ventures that elevates it above visual-only bombast. However, I did also feel that the film might have just been a touch too lengthy for the genre we are going for, as I believe faster-paced horror allows for maximum scares without sacrificing story or character development. Duren certainly does an excellent job OF setting up the story here, and executing it for that matter. It just had moments for me where things dragged a bit. When establishing a creepy atmosphere and building dread, sometimes it’s best to HIT us with it straight up.
Mind you, this does happen to a certain extent from the start, just maybe not QUITE enough for me personally. There are some genuinely freaky instances, and the tension meant to be the dominant underlying mood and tone IS there. Thematically, the film addresses its notions of loneliness, the yearning to be valued and loved, both sibling rivalry and commitment to one another, obsessive attitudes towards things we wish to seek answers for, the dangers of worshipping beauty and wealth, the subsequent price it can extract, and whether we can escape familial demons and shadowy legacies once we’ve let them take over with purpose, folded into the narrative’s horror aspects well. The finale is actually quite affecting, perhaps even a bit unexpected, and more than cements a lesson in surrendering to our fixations for the sake of “glory”, then wondering if it all IS worth the cost of it. Wrapped in a fantasy-horror shell, the film is ultimately effective in its intent.
Kihtir exudes the kind of innocent vulnerability that then hides a much darker sense of who she might really want to be, and what she’s willing to do to get there, even if not realizing the true horror she will experience through the role of title character Pretty. Tired of being ignored and dismissed by even those she tries to be closest to, Pretty’s inner and outer isolation drives her to have an encounter with a young woman’s ghost, initiating a journey that will be harrowing and empowering for Pretty….but to what end? I can appreciate Khitir’s efforts to, again, display the fragility and growing confidence that the character exemplifies throughout the film, and there’s a haunting realism to her performance that at minimum sells you on the Pretty’s plight, even if there are a few times where I felt the emotional depth being portrayed fell just a little flat. Still, a solid acting job from the young actress.
Primary supporting turns arrive first from Saran Duren as Pretty’s sister Emma, who acts as both a support and a foil to Pretty’s endeavors to uncover the truths that begin to shake their world apart, even as she greatly tries to dissuade her sister from digging too deep and allowing dark influences to gain hold. Like Kihtir, it’s a good performance and believable enough to warrant saying so. Kayra Dogan and Iclal Aykac are Lea and Ivy respectively, the sister’s two cousins who certainly could not have anticipated that their vacation would become a living nightmare. Omer Gursoy is Tom, a local boy whom Pretty pines for but who would seem more interested in Emma, and just being friends, who also might get involved with the unfolding events more than he wished he would.
Additional supporting turns arrive from Alina Zakharova as Betty, whose otherworldly presence will form the basis for everything that follows her interactions and baleful warnings with Pretty, Efe Kaspi as Tom’s brother Brooke, Ferhad Gurbanov as a text-only presence known as Obeythe.1 who gets his charming yet ominous hooks in Pretty, Ayşin Şahin as Pretty’s mother, and the director himself Metecan Duren as a quietly menacing but purely evil entity of the Mammalian persuasion whose presence marks another key factor in the proceedings. So, in total, “Pretty” is a conclusively balanced feature film effort that fuses the narrative and character-centric focus that indie cinema is known for with the foundational attributes of the fantasy, supernatural and psychological horror genres to create a worthy low-budget project that signals what should be the ongoing rise of a young, up and coming filmmaker.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
