The Virgin Suicides by way of Turkey, Mustang is the brilliant debut from director Deniz Gamze Ergüven that follows five young sisters living under the strict rule of their conservative uncle. At times both funny and heartbreaking, this is a beautifully filmed look at female empowerment and what it means to be truly free. The actresses playing the sisters are uniformly great, evoking a natural chemistry and relationship that drives the film through its more devastating turns and a genuinely tense final act. It isn’t perfect, but Ergüven deftly shapes her influences around a deeply personal story. It’s an achievement both moving and heartfelt.
