TV series

Once Upon a Time in Istanbul

2025 · 1 season

A slow-burning, brooding descent into crime, with long episodes that weigh heavily and keep you tense.

Overview: The series tells the story of a final-year student in the Turkish Language Department who enters the world of the mafia and changes everything, and whose paths intersect with journalist Sahar at university.
How it feels: Dark, tense, melancholic and earnest. Measured and needs your attention.
About: Crime, power, corruption, identity
Content: Strong violence. Mild gore, sexual content and language.
Note: Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Full breakdown

Tone: darkstrength 2 of 3
tensestrength 2 of 3
melancholicstrength 1 of 3
earneststrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: crime
power
corruption
identity
ambition
Places: big city
workplace
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: serialised
Content intensity: Gore mild
Language mild
Violence strong
Sex mild