Name: In Good Hands
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Released: 2022-03-21T00:00:00+00:00
Cast: Aslı Enver, Kaan Urgancıoğlu, Mert Ege Ak, Ezgi Şenler, Birce İrem İlaçan

The opening scene of In Good Hands lingers on Aslı Enver’s Melisa, her fingers trembling as she clutches a medical report—her diagnosis delivered in stark black text. It’s a moment that sets the tone for Ketche’s 2022 drama: unflinching yet tender, leavened with humor and heart.

The film follows Melisa, a single mother grappling with a terminal illness, as she navigates the daunting task of securing her headstrong six-year-old son Can’s future. Enter Fırat (Kaan Urgancıoğlu), a suave bachelor whose path crosses hers in unexpected ways. The script by Hakan Bonomo is familiar yet fresh, mining well-trodden territory—terminal illness, single parenthood, and the search for meaning—with quirky details that elevate it beyond the ordinary.

Enver delivers a performance of quiet strength, her Melisa radiating warmth even as she confronts her mortality. The chemistry between Enver and Urgancıoğlu is palpable, their scenes together crackling with an easy intimacy that feels earned. Young Mert Ege Ak steals every frame he’s in as Can, his portrayal of the precocious child balancing vulnerability and mischief with remarkable precision.

The film’s humor emerges organically from its characters, whether it’s Melisa’s deadpan exchanges with Fırat or Can’s uncanny ability to say exactly what no one wants to hear. The comedy never undercuts the drama; instead, it provides necessary levity in a story that could easily succumb to maudlin sentimentality.

Where In Good Hands falters is in its pacing. The first half of the film moves with deliberate care, but the second act stumbles slightly as it juggles melodrama and resolution. A subplot involving Fırat’s grief after Melisa’s passing—introduced in a later review—feels tacked on, disrupting the tight focus on Melisa’s journey.

Ketche’s direction is largely assured, though some scenes feel overly reliant on close-ups to convey emotion, particularly in the film’s more sentimental moments. The cinematography is functional but unremarkable, with few standout visual choices.

Ultimately, In Good Hands succeeds because of its performances and its refusal to shy away from difficult questions about love, loss, and what it means to leave someone behind.

Tags: dramas, Aslı Enver, In Good Hands, Kaan Urgancıoğlu, Ketche, Mert Ege Ak