‘10 Days of a Curious Man’ Netflix Movie Review - Better than the Prequels but Still Disposable

I concluded my review of 10 Days of a Bad Man by stating, "Perhaps, while watching the third movie (10 Days of a Curious Man) in the future, I will not remember anything about this sequel." I was right. What happened in the earlier films? I don't care, and I don't remember. You could say I approached 10 Days of a Curious Man with almost a blank slate, as I was merely familiar with the faces of Nejat Isler and Ilayda Akdogan. These 10 Days movies don't last for ten days in your head. They are utterly forgettable. I wasn't expecting much from this third sequel, so I have to admit I was surprised to see how much better it is compared to the prequels. The story this time doesn't feel weightless or incomprehensible. The characters are recognizable, which means you won't find yourself scratching your head during the final revelation. Nonetheless, 10 Days of a Curious Man remains disposable. Despite some amount of competence, it renders everything inconsequential. The movie, like its predecessors, fails to provide a solid reason to care about its characters or events.

When Sadik (Isler) receives an email at the beginning of the film from an editor telling him that his novel is "cold," has a "weak ending," and is "lacking in emotions," you feel as if this is just director Uluç Bayraktar acknowledging the criticisms he might have received for the 10 Days prequels. The email arrives at 10 am because this number exists in the film's title. Later, when an old woman dangles a key in front of Sadik, his inner voice warns him to not get curious. We, of course, know he will become curious because...well, read the film's title. Since Sadik is a writer, he often dispenses lines starting with "Editor's Note" or talks like an amateur, eager-to-please "artist" who enjoys pointing out where the first act begins or where the inciting incident comes in a narrative. Bayraktar tries too hard to sell Sadik as a writer, and Sadik, through these terms, seems to be impressing other characters. It would have been nice if Sadik had been used as a detective instead. His "writer language" sounds too artificial.

Sadik is also a very uninteresting character. He has no personality and no sense of humor. 10 Days of a Curious Man wants us to laugh during the scene where Sadik manipulates Meral (Senay Gürler) into believing she has COVID-19, but we find the joke too childish, too dumb. This is followed by a sex scene that looks awkward because it's placed clumsily as an excuse to titillate the audience. This naturally brings me to Ilayda Akdogan's Pinar. She has a thin function: Be a sex symbol - an eye candy for the male viewers. This is something she does well. So well, in fact, that you wonder what she finds appealing about a humorless, sexless character like Sadik, the writer. Pinar and her relationship with Sadik comes across as a product of male fantasy, a wet dream for horny old men. This whole film, too, looks like a wet dream of a wannabe filmmaker who wants to make a thrilling murder mystery to prove himself the master of this genre. Better luck next time, Bayraktar.

Final Score- [3.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times