10 Days of a Bad Man review: Is Netflix's Turkish thriller worth watching?

Netflix's latest Turkish thriller, 10 Days of a Bad Man, premiered today, i.e., August 18, 2023, as a sequel to the first film 10 Days of a Good Man, which premiered earlier this year. The two-hour-long movie delivers a gripping murder mystery. However, it creates a base too complex to understand the general plotline, at least until more than halfway through the story.

Written by Damla Serim and Mehmet Eroglu and directed by Uluc Bayrakta, 10 Days of a Bad Man stars Nejat Isler in the lead role as Sadik, aka Adil, a private detective who is forced into the world of crime when "Sir" wants him to find out about a particular rich guy. He then uncovers the truth behind it and another murder mystery along the way.

The official synopsis, as per IMDb, states:

"Follows Sadik, an ex-lawyer who is working as a private investigator. He takes up a complicated case, and his simple life starts to unravel."

Alongside Nejat Isler, the film also stars Riza Kocaoglu, Kadir Cermik, Erdal Yildiz, Hazal Subasi, Hazal Filiz Kucukkose, Ilayda Akdogan, Senay Gürler, Bora Akkas, Mahir Günsiray, and Nur Fettahoglu, among other actors.

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Netflix's 10 Days of a Bad Man is a Turkish noir-comedy with a fair share of agreeable twists and shortcomings

The latest Turkish mystery and noir-comedy on Netflix, 10 Days of a Bad Man, arrives months after the preceding first film 10 Days of a Good Man. The movie does a fair job of uncovering plot twists throughout the two-hour duration, which seems consequential to the genre but has an equal share of shortcomings.

The narrative only comes together more than halfway through the film when certain characters and arcs finally start making sense. It would be a bonus if viewers were to watch the first film before diving into the sequel to get a better understanding of the protagonist and his life. Overall, it's a decent watch with a few bad actors excluding the acceptable lead.

It's crucial to give the headliner Nejat Isler credit for his role, given Sadik's complex character as a former lawyer turned private investigator suffering through a great deal of pain. He copes with the loss of his young wife, who died during childbirth, and their unborn child using painkillers. It almost seems like his life has come to a screeching halt, especially after the dramatic opening sequences.

Perhaps the most astonishing revelations are made when Sadik solves the murder of the wealthy and influential Hasmet Koseoglu, owner of the K&S group, after being approached by his niece Buket Koseoglu. He uncovers a complex and twisted plot using his wits and sense of judgment and also proves to be a compassionate man who never let the ruthless crime world cloud his emotions.

Sadly, 10 Days of a Bad Man fails to do justice to its female characters with men referring to every woman as a "wh*re." However, it does shed a positive light on the life of Sadik's young wife, who worked as a s*x worker before leaving that part of her life behind to pursue one with the investigator. The film underlines the savage treatment of women in the Turkish community.

Another important story arc that the film explores is Sadik's resilience, especially in the concluding scenes when he decides to give life a second shot after a near-death experience. It seemed like he had no regard for his life until then. Moreover, at one point, he even told Sir that he had nothing to fear for or lose in his life. The final moments of the film define his upcoming journey.

Sadik appears to have come a long way by the end of 10 Days of a Bad Man. He has the money, a girl, new friends, and has also proven to be a successful investigator after being previously called incompetent. He is now ready to go back into his old life and bury the past.

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10 Days of a Bad Man is now available to stream on Netflix.