Emre Akay’s AV: The Hunt, set in present day Turkey, takes us on an intense journey of an unfaithful woman named Ayse (Billur Melis Koç), who is fighting for her life after she gets caught with her lover. She’s subsequently hunted down by the police and the men in her family who want to kill her in order to regain their honour. This is a story about one woman’s will to survive against the patriarchal society that works against her and which she is trapped within.

There’s a scene at the start that shows a closeup of a policeman’s shoe as pooling blood inches towards the sole, to which the policeman quickly moves his shoe out of its path. This striking image encompasses the entirety of the film: Ayse and those associated with her are seen as disgusting and worthless. The central performance from Billur Melis Koç is an impressive display, especially in a role that is so physically demanding, exuding strength and bravery in the face of such brutality as she is hunted down like an escaped animal rather than a human being.

The biggest issue with AV: The Hunt is not the storyline itself, but rather the execution. This film seems as though it will set itself apart from others in the genre, but it falls into the same familiar patterns that we have all seen before.

Despite its overall disappointing execution, AV: The Hunt still remains to be an important film. It cleverly showcases the treatment of women in modern day society who are still treated like they exist merely as props for the men in their life, and who are punished when the male ego has been bruised.

RATING: 3/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Billur Melis Koç, Ahmet Rifat Sungar, Emre Yetim, Adam Bay

DIRECTOR: Emre Akay

WRITERS: Emre Akay, Deniz Cuylan

SYNOPSIS: When a young woman named Ayse gets caught with her lover, she is hunted down by the men in her family in order to regain their honor.