For those looking for the rom-com equivalent of a cooling iced tea in a shady spot this summer, look no further than Netflix. The streaming titan recently added a swoon-worthy rom-com to its platform, complete with stunning coastal vistas, dreamy leads, and... grandmas? The film in question is Make Me Believe, with Sen İnandır being its original Turkish title. Directed by Evren Karabiyik Günaydin and Murat Saraçoglu, this sunny romance won't rewrite the rom-com formula but will provide a cute, easygoing addition to the collection.
'Make Me Believe' Begins With a Quirky Concept
If you were to think that new romance couldn't be kick-started by two grandmas, you would be sorely mistaken. The main catalyst to Sahra (Ayça Aysin Turan) and Deniz's (Ekin Koç) romance is none other than their meddling grandmothers, who happen to live next door to one another and use this proximity to hatch a plan to bring their grandchildren together. The two young professionals haven't spent time together since they were 15 years old, and there is palpable tension between them, with a rift having developed in their years spent apart. A relationship may be the furthest thing from their minds, but their respective grandmothers clearly think otherwise.
The film opens with Sahra's grandmother Aysel (Yildiz Kültür) and Deniz's grandmother Semiha (Zerrin Sümer) requesting Sahra and Deniz's urgent help under false pretenses. Of course, when they arrive at their houses, the two women aren't there, forcing Sahra and Deniz to spend time alone. Although their tension does not dissipate in this one meeting, the grandmas stage a number of meet-cutes, and finally, one begins to work. Despite their manipulative designs, their well-meaning involvement lends a cozy level of comedy to the film, which is supported by their apparent closeness to their grandchildren. The frequent sight of plates piled high with delicious-looking eggplant börek or stuffed vine leaves only adds to the sense that this movie has its roots firmly in grandma's house, a caring base from which to launch a rekindled relationship.
Whilst this film won't reinvent the wheel when it comes to romance, there is something snugly enjoyable about settling down to watch a familiar premise play out. Vaguely reminiscent of some of the plot from How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Make Me Believe also features the cliché Rom-Com trope of the workplace bet, which draws Sahra and Deniz together, and in the end, has the potential to drive them apart. Sahra makes a deal with an unpleasant colleague that she will secure an interview with the mysterious photographer Deniz Tunalı for their magazine's August cover — and if she fails, she will quit her job. Furthermore, to begin with, she does not realize that the photographer Deniz Tunalı whose work she idolizes is the same Deniz with whom she shares historic drama, which plays nicely into another romantic comedy trope of mistaken identity.
The risk the bet poses to Sahra's job, coupled with their grandmothers' meddling, and of course her and Deniz's eventual romance, culminates in the very familiar rom-com moment in which Deniz finds out that her initial interest was driven by a hidden agenda. Cut to the Andie-Anderson-styled final article, which has the power to destroy everything...
The actual romance between Sahra and Deniz is recognizable too, with the two being portrayed as sparring enemies who gradually form a sincere connection. His obvious distaste for her throughout the first half of the film provides him with an obstacle to overcome, whilst Sahra's discovery of her treasured photographer's identity challenges her to reconcile her preconceptions. The way in which these misunderstandings and tensions work themselves out is satisfyingly predictable to watch, as the pair gradually become more vulnerable and honest with one another.
Make Me Believe has created a world that the viewer can get lost in. The dreamily-paced romantic developments which build between the beautiful actors are supported by stunning visual backdrops of sparkling seas, sun-dappled quaint towns, and ancient rocky coastlines. Filmed in the Çanakkale province in the northwest of Turkey, the film made excellent use of the arresting coastal scenery to enhance the emotional weight of the scenes, with the Aegean Sea existing as a dependable background feature. Deniz's photo shoot is also allotted its fair share of the Turkish landscape, taking place at Athena Tapinaği ruins, which provides the aptly theatrical setting for the movie's turning point when Deniz finds out about Sahra's bet. Even the grandmas' houses are inviting structures formed of warm wood and lots of light, nestled sweetly among pretty greenery.
The sweeping views of the coast with ethereally sparkling waves as the backdrop to Sahra and Deniz's budding romance really is the cherry on top of this latest summer rom-com, which you can catch on Netflix now.
