‘The Things You Kill’ Review: Family Secrets Cause a Man to Unravel in a Psychologically Intricate Homecoming Drama

variety.com:

Carlos Aguilar Late in the incisive psychological drama “The Things You Kill,” Ali (Ekin Koç), a married man in his thirties, opens up about a traumatic episode in his childhood and the reasons why he decided to leave Turkey and study comparative literature in the U.S.

The monologue is momentarily shot out of focus with his face slightly blurred, as if the more he reveals about himself the more clarity the image earns.

Metaphorically, the ordeal he undergoes in this tale of emotional transmutation appears to occupy that interstitial, clouded space, with the protagonist seeking a lucid state of mind to confront his tempestuous present.

From Iranian writer-director Alireza Khatami — returning to solo directing after making the Iran-set film “Terrestrial Verses,” comprised of fierce political vignettes, alongside Ali Asgari — the intriguing narrative examines how a single person holds multiple identities within themselves, emerging depending on the situation they face.