“She’s coming. To Istanbul.”

Genre: Subtitled Romcoms (oh don’t worry, they’ve got an English dub if you’re tired.)
Release Date: 2025
Where I Watched: Netflix

Gist: Mavi and Can are off to Istanbul for their 2nd dating anniversary. He plans to finally make the perfect proposal while in Turkey. But chaos ensues when Mavi finds out she’s the granddaughter of one of the wealthiest families in Turkey. Can their love withstand the socio-economic changes? Oh look, a kitty!

Gotta say: This German-Turkish riff on Crazy Rich Asians is part romance, part family melodrama, part gorgeous travelog. And it’s a sweet, fun bit of fluff that’s perfect for a lazy day.

There’s a lot of cute push and pull in the beginning of the film, as we’re introduced to Mavi and Can while Can is botching a proposal on a zip-line. That sets up the goofy lightness of this story nicely. Directors Ngo The Chau and Buket Alakus focus on the beauty of the scenery and the quirkiness of the characters, which is perfect for a romcom.

But when things get serious and conflicts arise, Maybe wasn’t grounded enough to draw any deep feelings from me. Just a curiosity as to how differently this story would play out from Asians. And there are definitely similarities with the plot beats. There’s the fashion montage with the distant gay relative, the cooking with family scene, the back and forth with the powerful matriarch of the family, even the end credits dance party.

However, Maybe adds a twist that makes it worth checking out. Mavi is an only child of a single mother, far away from the country of her parents. So when she meets her powerful grandmother, her happiness at getting the big family she’d always dreamed of is a touching change from the usual tropes.

Beritan Balci plays Mavi as a woman with humor, intelligence, and a wistful longing for connection. It’s easy to see how she’d be pulled into the world of an extremely wealthy, extremely chaotic family. And Balci lends a credible note to Mavi’s expertise in her field, which plays out well in the otherwise ho-hum climax. The rest of the cast is boilerplate but refreshingly skilled at their roles, especially the low key driver/bodyguard whose character name is never mentioned so I’m at a loss for the actor’s name. He gives a great sideline performance with his facial expressions and mannerisms alone. Bravo, good sir. (The whole IMDb for this film is rather sparce; I hope it’ll flesh out as this new Netflix offering gains traction, and the whole cast can get their flowers.)

The country of Turkey is front and center here, as Singapore was in Asians. And just like Asians, the art direction and cinematography is simply breathtaking. I want to go see all the things, learn more about areas briefly touched upon as Mavi navigates the country, and, of course, eat every food this country has ever created.

You up for getting hungry watching an easy to digest romcom with postcard worthy images that’ll stick with you long after the story fades from your mind? Honey, here it is.

Come for: A fun romcom premise
Stay for: The absolutely lovely areas in Turkey that act like a main character all on their own.