It’s not very often it happens nowadays, but there is something very special about going into a film completely blind. I had absolutely no idea what to expect from Baskin. All I knew before I sat down to watch it was that I had seen a lot of people talk about it online. Having now seen the film, I would heartily recommend it. There are a few things I’m not 100% sure of in terms of story, but the visuals and overall ambience of this Turkish horror won me over. It creeped me out in all the best ways.
Baskin follows a group of police officers on a late shift gone wrong. Whilst responding to a call, they walk in on a Black Mass and fall through a trap door to Hell.
One of Baskin’s earliest scenes gave a nod that really did it favours in my book
That scene inside the restaurant right at the beginning gave me so much joy. It was such a great homage to one of my favourite films of all-time, Reservoir Dogs. The dialogue and humour in the vulgarity of it gave me so much confidence that I was in for a treat with what I was about to watch. It just told me that the filmmakers knew what they were doing, so I let my expectations rise a little at that point.
I was right to gain a little hope. From this fine start, I was plunged into a real murky story that honestly didn’t let up once it got going. What works in Baskin’s favour is the fact that all of its components are in harmony with each other. There is not a single aspect of this film that doesn’t seek to attack the senses or get under the skin in some way. It was a full-on assault, and I have to say that was absolutely here for it.
The film makes great use of it’s visuals
It has cinematography that lures you in, before pouncing on you with imagery that will be seared into memory for quite some time. Baskin showed me so many things that I didn’t need to see, and I love that about it. It capitalises on its more surreal side in order go to town with all the gory details, but it didn’t just rely on this. The film makes a good dent in the more psychological side of things with darkness and tight spaces, creating a sense of isolation. This inevitably puts the viewer in a more vulnerable position just in time for when things start to get crazy. Lovely stuff!
Combining this with some super weird shit and a score that knows exactly how to amp things up makes Baskin creepy as anything. By the time the end of the film rolled around, that restaurant scene that had made such a great impression on me at the start was a very long way away. It’s so great because it completely immerses you in a Hell that can only be described as an underground freakshow. It’s almost as though you have a front row seat to everything that is going on, and have absolutely no way out.
The only issue I came away with was my struggle to understand the time loop that the entire film revolves around. Had this been something that was easier for me to wrap my head around, I might very well be saying that this is one of those rare perfect films. However, just being able to say that means that Baskin went down very well with me, so I can’t really complain.
I really enjoyed this one
Everything about Baskin just worked for me. I loved the vibe that it had all the way through, and the way it descended further into madness as the minutes ticked by meant that it just kept getting better. It’s a film that really knows how to build atmosphere, but also how to smash through it with gnarly visuals that get you when you’re at your most vulnerable. It attacks on all front, making it an absolute rollercoaster from start to finish. Even with that head-scratcher of an ending, Baskin is still a terrific watch.
