Abandoned Man Review: A Sweet But Ultimately Dissatisfying Watch

Abandoned Man Review: A Sweet But Ultimately Dissatisfying Watch | Leisurebyte

Director: Çagri Vila Lostuvali

Date Created: 2025-08-22 12:30

Editor's Rating:
2

Abandoned Man Review: Coming out of a lengthy prison sentence that he served for his brother, Baran desperately tries to mend his broken soul and open a repair shop. However, familial bonds pull him down time after time, the only solace being his bond with his young niece, Lydia.

The film has a runtime of 92 minutes.

Abandoned Man Review

This Turkish film focuses on finding hope in the most impossible circumstances and how, sometimes, love and family can heal the deepest of wounds. Of course, that is to say that family isn’t the one giving you the wounds and Abandoned Man has a ton of wounds that are given and received.

Baran has the worst luck of everyone in his world. It’s like he can’t catch a break. And although I sympathise with his plights, it’s almost a bit too much sometimes to watch one bad thing happening after another. Now, the question isn’t whether or not it’s realistic, but it’s just the timing of it all that makes you not want to believe in the series. After a while, the onslaught of trauma feels like a forced jab, one of those films that force you to cry as hard as you can without rhyme or reason.

That being said, Baran’s relationship with Lydia is the only ray of sunshine in this otherwise depressing watch. Their bond feels genuine and sweet, and makes this at least somewhat bearable. At some point, I wondered whether a car would fall on him after the bad luck stopped getting sprinkled on him. Thankfully, after the initial onslaught of heartbreak, things look up for Baran as he gets a little help from his chosen family. Lydia’s presence gives him the strength to take on life’s problems, and these are some of the best moments in the film.

That being said, I was left a little curious about what the central conflict of the film was and the pacing. The first half of the film is a tedious watch that will put you off completing it, while the ending feels unsatisfying because it feels like there is no conflict in the story. I enjoyed the sweetness of Lydia and Baran’s relationship, but that’s not enough to keep things moving in a feature film. The film is a little all over the place and thus ends up feeling half-baked and inconsistent. By the time you get into the groove, it’s over, which is a shame.

I also feel like it was a little too convenient. The missing piece in Baran’s life was simply Musa dumping exposition and loosening his magic bag, which is full of opportunities. It’s so odd and a little unbelievable as well. Like, in reality, would anyone get the chances that Baran got in this film? Although I am not condoning watching him go through more trauma, the explanation is too obvious and convenient to be impactful or believable.

The performances are fine, albeit somewhat lacklustre at times. Mert Ramazan Demir, as Baran, is inconsistent and sometimes feels a bit stiff. The same goes for Ercan Kesal’s Musa. He’s a tough nut to crack, but he mostly feels like he’s annoyed to be onscreen. Ada Erma, however, is sweet and adds the right amount of innocence to an otherwise grim tale.

Final Thoughts

Abandoned Man is fine as a one-time watch, but it is ultimately not satisfying. The pacing and the explanations don’t make sense in the grand scheme of things because people hardly have fairy godmothers waiting for them to solve their problems. However, the relationship between Baran and Lydia is quite sweet and will drive you forward somewhat.

Also Read: Aema Review: A Very Impactful, Kooky and Sometimes Thrilling Watch