Museum Of Innocence Review
Director: Zeynep Gunay Tan
Date Created: 2026-02-14 19:44
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Museum Of Innocence Review: Directed by Zeynep Gunay Tan and starring Selahattin Paşalı as Kemal and Eylül Lize Kandemir as Füsun, this nine-episode Turkish drama Masumiyet Müzesi is set in the nostalgic yet socially divided Istanbul of the 1970s. The series also features Oya Unustası Taşanlar, Tilbe Saran and Bülent Emin Yarar in important roles. With episodes ranging between 35 and 60 minutes, the show attempts to explore the darker side of what many would call “great love.”
Museum Of Innocence Review
Netflix’s Museum Of Innocence, from the very beginning, is not the kind of love story you would normally associate with. Here, we are introduced to the character of Kemal Basmacı, who is well-to-do, well-educated, and part of the elite class of Istanbul. Kemal is already engaged to Sibel, someone who fits right into Kemal’s social sphere. It’s the kind of modern love for the time, and it all sets up for a smooth road ahead into the future. However, things take a turn when Kemal meets Füsun, who happens to be a distant relative and comes from a less affluent background. What begins as a secret affair soon grows into an obsession.
What I think drew me into the Museum Of Innocence series the most, however, was the fact that it never glorifies love. It actually dissects it. Kemal believes what he feels for Füsun is pure and meant to be, but if we look at it objectively, it’s actually becoming very suffocating. It’s not about sacrifice; it’s about control. That’s what the series actually ends up focusing on, and it’s very uncomfortable, very deliberate.
I think Selahattin Paşalı delivers a very nuanced performance as Kemal. Kemal’s character is not exactly the kind of hero or anti-hero you would normally associate with love stories. He’s somewhere in the middle, and it’s very difficult to put him into one category or another. There are scenes of utter heartbreak and scenes of utter frustration with the character, and Paşalı delivers all of it with great authenticity, as you can see the change in him from being a successful businessman to someone who’s under the grip of obsession.
Eylul Lize Kandemir, who plays the part of Füsun, has a quiet strength. Füsun is not just a passive muse waiting around for Kemal. She has a life, grows, falls in love, questions that love, and eventually feels the sting of resentment. Kemal does not hold the centre of the universe for Füsun; the way she feels will never be only because of him alone. Füsun’s frustrations are obvious as she realises exactly how Kemal’s love for her is harming her. Therefore, to me, Füsun is a much more tragic character than a romantic one.
In addition, it is easy to see how class plays a part in this story as well. The setting of Istanbul during the 1970s is not just a backdrop; it plays an important role in influencing every single character’s actions. Kemal has vast amounts of wealth and is able to execute anything he wants, while on the other hand, Füsun has innumerable obstacles because her class limits her in every single way. This adds gravitas to the story as a result of the way in which class impacts all characters’ actions throughout the entirety of the story.
Even so, the pace of the narrative was a little slow at times. The repetition of Kemal’s love, particularly in the ways in which he tries to stay connected to Füsun, can feel draining rather than engaging. While I recognise the repetition is meant to be a commentary on obsession, it did test my patience at times.
The narrative surrounds itself with recurring symbols, the sunflower fields, the familiar trinkets, and so on, and it gives the world a certain kind of lyricism, even music. The idea of objects having memories, of course, feels like a very powerful concept, like a kind of vow. There’s something romantic, even, when Kemal begins collecting the objects associated with Füsun. There’s a certain kind of tenderness, even, as the narrative begins.
However, as the objects accumulate, so too does the sense of ownership. I wasn’t buoyed or lifted by the end, exactly. I think I’m left with a kind of quiet, contemplative doubt. There’s a certain question, I think, of how often we present our determination as love, even as it borders on obsession. I’m not sure the show answers it, and perhaps that’s the point.
Netflix Museum Of Innocence Review: Summing Up
Overall, Turkish drama Museum of Innocence is amazing on screen, with excellent acting, beautiful visuals, and a serious, thinking-based premise. However, it is not an easy watch. It requires time, patience, and emotional investment, and at times, it feels like it is heavier than it has to be.
