Dark City Stories – The Lock
Crime / Mystery — 2021 — Feature Film
Runtime: 112 minutes
When a seemingly ordinary investigation unravels, buried secrets begin to surface, forcing those involved to confront truths they thought were long locked away.
Synopsis
Inside a high-security prison, ten inmates are found dead under mysterious circumstances. The official cause of death is recorded as heart attack — identical in every case.
Assigned to investigate the incident, Erol and Selin begin to uncover inconsistencies that suggest a far more complex reality. As the inquiry deepens, personal histories, concealed motives, and moral ambiguities intertwine. Each revelation becomes another lock waiting to be opened.
Set within a tense and atmospheric framework, KİLİT explores how institutional truths can mask deeper manipulations — and how the past quietly shapes the present, where every key carries a consequence.
Technical Information
Director: Adil Valizade
Producer: Arif Valizade
Screenplay: Adil Valizade,
Arif Valizade,
Cenk Çalışır
Country: Türkiye
Language: Turkish
Runtime: 112 minutes
Year: 2021
Original Release: Theatrical Release (2021)
Platform: TV+ (2025)
Format: Feature Film
Main Cast
Mert Fırat
Melisa Aslı Pamuk
Mustafa Alabora
Timur Acar
Asuman Dabak
Gökhan Tevek
Tuğçe Karabacak
Melik Akkaya
Production Notes
KİLİT was shot over a five-week schedule in Istanbul, with principal photography taking place at a custom-built set constructed at Ümraniye Netaş Studios, as well as on location in Beykoz, Fatih, and various districts across the city.
The production received scientific, medical, and procedural consultancy from the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute. Portions of the film were shot within the institute itself, ensuring authenticity in its forensic and investigative elements.
Blending practical set construction with VFX-supported environments, the film combines its crime-mystery narrative with a visually controlled and atmospheric cinematic language.
KİLİT explores the fragile boundary between institutional truth and hidden manipulation, where every revelation uncovers another layer of uncertainty.
The Lock stands as a controlled and atmospheric crime mystery that bridges theatrical release and streaming distribution, reflecting the expanding international visibility of Turkish genre cinema.
Cenk Çalışır 