Salvation (Kurtuluş) Review: Thrilling & Chilling

Religious hysteria and violent revolts run riot in Salvation (Kurtuluş), Emin Alper’s remarkably effective thriller about a decades-old land feud.

There are similarities to Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s remarkable 2022 film The Beasts, not only because of the similarly land-based tensions surrounding the characters, but also because of the consistent dread that is instilled in both movies. 

The first scene of Salvation involves the disposal of bodies—those of terrorists local to the mountainous Turkish area. The Hezarians, working with soldiers, have been whittling down the terrorists’ stronghold on the area for a while, but Salvation is less about this relationship, and instead about the one between the Hezarians and another clan, who begin to return to the other area after a long time away. Their desire to take back what they believe is their land leads to violent results.

Whilst there are moments of violence in Salvation, much of the danger simmers below the surface. Alper, who also wrote the screenplay, excellently crafts a series of understated but effective scenes that depict the undulating, uneasy power dynamics between both clans, as well as, more notably, within the Hezarians themselves. Sheik Ferit (Feyyaz Duman, Never Leave Me) is the man tasked with leading his village into prosperity and safety, just as his grandfather did years ago. An inner rebellion led by his brother, Mesut (Caner Cindoruk, Ember), threatens his position. This character is expertly written by Alper, a single-minded man touched by what he believes are divine visions. The only answer to their problems, Mesut believes, is by means of violence.

There are great monologues dotted throughout Salvation, most notable of which is one where Mesut describes how twins are only born by the Devil’s influence. One twin will be God’s creation, the other will be the Devil’s. It is this religious and spiritual hysteria that drives much of the film and Mesut’s actions. It also brings about a number of dream sequences, of which there are a few too many, and which begin to feel repetitive and predictable. Christiaan Verbeek’s (Two Prosecutors) original score, consisting of ominous drones and harsh strings, is a nerve-shredding delight, but can also be overbearing in these hallucinatory moments.

The supporting cast of Salvation is terrific—as Mesut’s wife, Gülsüm, Özlem Taş (Findiklar Kirilirken) is particularly memorable—but the film is driven by the character of her husband, and Cindoruk is exemplary in the role. With a bulky beard and stern face, Cindoruk brings an overbearing masculinity to Mesut, which feeds into his actions. It is a considered, often understated performance, but when the hysteria begins to take over more dramatically, Cindoruk ramps it up with crazed eyes and frenzied body movements. It is never overbearing nor melodramatic, but instead a perfectly realised character creation. To his credit, Alper lets each scene play out patiently, with full trust in his performers.

Alper also makes nods to the patriarchal, sexist standings that exist within the clans, although this sometimes takes a backburner to the male-dominated story that unfolds. As Salvation ticks towards its conclusion, savagery or peace become, as they always do, the two choices that the clans are faced with. There is a frustration to how little dialogue there actually is between the sides. Ultimately and unsurprisingly, violence becomes the chosen path. Both The Beasts and Salvation are laced with danger; the latter goes even further in what depraved depths its characters reach throughout its runtime.

Salvation (Kurtuluş) premiered in competition at the Berlin Film Festival on February 15-22, 2026. Read our Berlin Film Festival reviews and our list of 20 films to watch at the 2026 Berlin Film Festival!