The Gift: Netflix ~ Non-Spoiler Review

Reading Time: 2 minutes
A photo montage of The Gift (Atiye). Main right side Netflix poster, 8 other photos of scenes from the show and another poster with young blonde girl.
Photo Credits: Netflix

🇹🇷 The Gift (Atiye) 🇹🇷 

The Gift (Atiye) is the second ever Turkish Netflix Original (The Protector being the first) and is available with both subtitles and dubbing. 2019- Drama, fantasy, mystery.

The series is adapted from the novel Dünyanın Uyanışı (“The Awakening of The World”) written by Şengül Boybaş.

The Gift has 8 episodes of 45-55 minutes length and has been renewed for S2 (already filmed for a 2020 release date) and S3 (which will be the final season).

“A painter in Istanbul embarks on a personal journey as she unearths universal secrets about an Anatolian archaeological site and its link to her past.”

Cert 18 UK: violence, injury detail, sex, suicide and sexual violence

The Gift ~ Cast: 

Beren Saat ~ Atiye

Mehmet Günsür ~ Erhan 

Metin Akdülger ~ Ozan 

Melisa Senolsun ~ Cansu 

Basak Köklükaya ~Serap

Civan Canova ~ Mustafa

Tim Seyfi ~ Serdar

Introduction:

This is very much NOT your typical Turkish TV series. It is not traditional, at all, and is considerably more risqué! The show starts in a way that it suggests it’s going to be “normal” and predictable, but it is neither. The Gift also introduces Anatolia’s natural and historical heritage to a global audience.

The Gift has a well-written female lead character and other characters that are both interesting and well-developed. Beren Saat (Atiye), Metin Akdülger (Erhan) and Mehmet Günsür (Ozan) are all very good. The cast as a whole is very solid and there is not a single weak performance.

The Gift is set around a real ancient location (Göbekli Tepe, the world’s oldest temple, 8-10th century BCE), history and mythology. The show is both exciting and shocking. It has impressive cinematography and music and excellent costuming. Much of the show is filmed at the actual archaeological site.

Photo of the excavated ruins of Göbekli Tepe
Göbekli Tepe

Ancient Kurdish culture is introduced in a captivating way, as it is the child who is the “gateway” character.

Season 1 ends with a time shift, as the lead character returns only to find that at least one dead character is now alive. It is clear that now things are just no longer the same.

Highly recommended.

Trailer for Season 1 in Turkish with English subtitles:

https://youtu.be/qXE7MkPXicM

Other links:

Undercover: Netflix ~ Non-Spoiler Review

Quicksand: Netflix ~ Non-Spoiler Review

Love & Anarchy: Netflix ~ Non-Spoiler Review

Tips: How to Get Subtitles on Netflix and Prime

Thieves of the Wood ~ Non-Spoiler Review

Occupied ~ Non-Spoiler Review

The Protector: Netflix S1-3 ~ Non-Spoiler Review

1 Comment

Thanks for reading this article, please feel free to comment