American-educated, comparative literature professor Ali feels that he has shed his familial baggage, and with it, his father’s patriarchal, draconian sensibilities. Ali’s long-simmering resentment, however, resurfaces as he becomes aware that his mother’s untimely death may not have been natural. 

When a mysterious drifter Riza turns up at his rural cabin looking for work, Ali thinks that Riza may be able to solve several problems. As the revenge scheme spins out of control, Ali’s generational trauma threatens to overturn everything he’s worked for. Part David Lynch, part Turkish realism, The Things You Kill explores how the power of the patriarchy is built on an unreal scaffolding, one that crumbles as soon as any pressure is exerted.

Winner, Sundance 2025 World Cinema Award