agmtw logo
search

Oregon (2023)

Oregon (2023)

6.4

A Turkish comedy of errors that just isn’t funny enough to justify its meandering, pointless plot

Movie

Turkey
Turkish
Comedy, Drama, Romance
2023

TLDR

Much Ado About Nothing, except it really, truly is about nothing.

What it's about

Istanbul, 1985. When a young couple visiting their friend in the city are mistaken for trespassers, they have to prove their innocence with the help of their equally clumsy friends.

The take

For a film with virtually no plot, there’s a lot of fuss going on in Oregon. The characters are constantly yelling and complaining, but the noise—like the plot, the set, and everything else about the film—is empty. The beauty of a Turkish summer is reduced to indoor sets, where much of the film takes place, and there here’s barely any movement, leaving us stuck with dialogue and half-baked backstories that don’t seem to serve any real purpose other than to fill in the film’s overlong runtime. The problems are superficial and solved almost immediately, purely by talking it seems, and there’s no attempt to connect the many disparate stories it shows. A farce like this could’ve worked if it got sillier and more ridiculous by the minute, but Oregon just goes in repetitive, unfunny circles. 

What stands out

All that said, the actors almost make the film worthwhile. They inject the material with a lively energy, so even though they’re confined for the most part, the film never feels entirely flat. There’s an theatricality to the acting, too, that could’ve been exciting to see in a more realized film. Here, however, it just doesn’t fit.

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

More like this in

Anora (2024)

An exciting and heartbreaking fairy tale with a modern, class-centric twist

9.0

My Old Ass (2024)

A pleasant mix of comedy and coming-of-age that may or may not leave you in tears

8.0

Once Were Warriors (1994)

A Maori family survives in an alienating Auckland in this raw, tragic drama

8.0

Silenced (2011)

A brutal and harrowing exposé of the schoolwide abuse case that sparked outrage in Korea

9.0

Blink (2024)

Equal parts stunning and touching, this family adventure trip doubles as an ode to the beauty of life and the preciousness of childhood

7.2

The Substance (2024)

Demi Moore swaps bodies in this standout chaotic body dysmorphia horror

8.3

Laapataa Ladies (2024)

Two brides are accidentally swapped in this refreshing comedy of errors

8.9

The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.

8.1

Look Back (2024)

Art connects people through time and space in this short and sweet drama

9.0

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.