Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
Seen it?2011 | 163 min | Drama, Crime
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (92% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office and little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Unhurried and epic, at 2 hr 43 min.
- What might put you off
- It's long: 2 hr 43 min.
- It's in Turkish, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
A group of men set out in search of a dead body in the Anatolian steppes
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
92% on Rotten Tomatoes, 82 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.5 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
Won 1 Cannes award: Cannes Film Festival: Best Screenplay. Also nominated for 1 Independent Spirit Award. Plus 8 other awards.
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$139K worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 33K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
- Muhammet UzunerDoktor Cemal
- Yılmaz ErdoğanKomiser Naci
- Taner BirselSavcı Nusret
- Ahmet Mümtaz TaylanŞoför Arap Ali
- Fırat TanışKenan
- Ercan KesalMuhtar
- Erol EraslanMurder Victim Yaşar
- Burhan YıldızSuspect Ramazan
- Murat KılıçPolice Officer İzzet
- Şafak KaraliCourthouse Clerk Abidin