5.9/10
Senior Film Conservator

A definitive 5.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Ismet remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you're the kind of person who enjoys watching film history breathe through layers of scratches and analog fuzz. If you need a tight script or pacing that doesn't feel like it’s wading through waist-deep water, you’re going to hate this. It’s for the archivist in all of us.
There’s a scene about halfway through—or maybe it was the first act? Honestly, the timeline gets a bit blurry—where the framing feels so static I started wondering if the camera operator just walked off for a smoke break. It’s not necessarily bad, just wildly patient in a way that feels almost aggressive.
You can tell this movie really wants you to care about the social stakes. It’s got that earnest, heavy-handed energy you see in a lot of mid-30s cinema. Sometimes it works, but other times it feels like being lectured by someone who’s standing a little too close to your face.
Comparing it to something like Manhatta, which uses its visual space to just kind of exist, Ismet is constantly trying to push a narrative agenda. It’s exhausting, really. 😩
It’s funny, I found myself thinking of A Life for a Life while watching this. Both share that heavy, melodramatic weight that modern movies just don't touch anymore. It’s almost charming, in a 'my grandmother’s photo album' sort of way.
Do I regret watching it? Not entirely. But I probably wouldn't choose it for a Friday night, either. It’s a movie that demands you be in a very specific, quiet, and slightly bored headspace. If you're looking for fireworks, go elsewhere. If you're looking for a relic, well, here it is. 🎞️