Godspeed is a Turkish drama movie directed by Mehmet Ada Oztekin. An emotional drama with an unexpected ending, Godspeed tells the tale of former army Captain Yuzbasi Salih, played by Engin Akyurek, who has embarked upon a journey to stop a wedding ceremony from taking place.
On this journey, Captain Salih has Sub Lieutenant Astegmen Kerim, who, despite being his subordinate, is like a best friend and a brother to Salih. Captain Salih is determined to stop Kerim’s beloved Elif from marrying someone else.
When was Godspeed Released, and Where To Watch It?
The Turkish movie Godspeed landed on the streaming platform Netflix on May 23, 2022.
The cast of Godspeed includes the famous Turkish actors Engin Akyurek as Captain Yuzbasi Salih and Tolga Saritas as Sub-lieutenant Astegmen Kerim.
The rest of the actors in Godspeed includes Alpay Atalan, Belfu Benian, Ebru Nil Aydin, Hasan Sahinturk and Ergun Kuyucu.
Godspeed (2022) Ending Explained and Review (Image Credit: Netflix)Godspeed (2022) Recap: What is the plot of the film?
At the beginning of Godspeed, we find Salih polishing his shoes and then wearing them, but before that, he goes on to wear his prosthetic left leg. We later learn that Salih lost his leg in a landmine blast during combat.
Salih looks all set to embark upon a purposeful journey to Dalyan and is looking for some money that has been stashed away by his wife, Duygu. His jovial assistant Kerim asks him to think like a woman, and the very next moment, Salih finds some cash tucked away in his wife’s dresser.
He also finds a gun which he puts in his pocket; after all, he intends to break into a wedding ceremony and stop it!
Kerim laughs at Salih’s old model car on which they are supposed to travel, but Salih seems to be very attached to this car because his parents and sister died in this car.
Elsewhere we find Elif’s wedding celebrations taking place in Dalyan. Salih’s wife is furious at the hospital staff for letting Salih escape from the hospital.
She is worried when she finds the cash and the gun missing back home. She calls Salih, who doesn’t take her calls.
On their way, Salih stops at a utility store for cigarettes. From the shop, he rescues and runs away with a partridge which was to become the dinner of the shop owner.
Salih later sets the Patridge free in the forest, but unfortunately, it gets shot by a hunter. Salih picks a fight with the hunter and keeps the body of the partridge.
In the evening, Kerim suggests that they take a rest in a hotel for the night. Through the flashback sequences, we find that Salih has had a troubled relationship with his wife ever since his accident, while his wife has tried to support him in every possible way.
In the flashback sequences, we also find how Kerim had courted Elif and how her father was dead against this relationship.
Godspeed (2022) Ending Explained and Review (Image Credit: Netflix)Godspeed(2022) Ending Explained
Salih finally takes Duygu’s call and tells her that he is with Kerim. Duygu seeks her father’s help and starts for Dalyan to look for her husband. Surprisingly, she hides the fact from her father that her husband is with Kerim.
Salih finally reaches the wedding venue and displays his gun. He confronts Elif’s father for choosing this date to marry off her daughter. Elif’s father says that this was a mere coincidence, and he had to marry off his daughter as she had become suicidal.
Salih then holds Elif’s hand and makes her sit in the car. She says that she was forced into this marriage and would commit suicide.
Godspeed (2022) Ending Explained and Review (Image Credit: Netflix)The significance of “This Day” in Godspeed
We earlier saw Salih confronting Elif’s father for choosing this day for his daughter’s wedding. Then, slowly and eerily, events start unfolding before our eyes.
One already found it surprising how Kerim constantly kept his calm and was in a festive mood throughout this journey which was intended to stop his girlfriend’s wedding. Never once did he seem to be in a hurry to reach the destination.
To add to our confusion, we find that Elif is not even aware of Kerim’s presence in the car. Instead, we see the car proceeding towards a funeral procession which is when we realise that Kerim is already dead, and presently, his funeral is taking place with state honour.
In the flashback sequence, we find that Salih had accidentally shot Kerim during an army operation and stepped on a landmine to rescue Kerim.
However, a guilt-ridden Salih, who never had been able to give up on the dead, all along had been imagining that Kerim was with him.
While in the car, Kerim previously asked Salih about the circumstances in which Salih’s family members had died in the car.
Kerim reminded Salih that when they had met with an accident, they were going to his school, where they had been called because of Salih’s poor grades. It gives us an insight into how guilty Salih must be feeling for his near one’s death.
Salih tries to take his own life by shooting himself when Duygu comes to him and tells him that Kerim is not dead. On the contrary, he is very much alive inside her womb.
A few years later, we find Salih sailing with his son, who has aptly been named Kerim.
Godspeed (2022) Ending Explained (Image Credit: Netflix)Godspeed Review: Our take on Godspeed- Should We Watch it or Skip it?
Godspeed, the movie has been made as a tribute to the martyrs and the unsung warriors. Godspeed has been an emotional journey for the viewers, and the ending came as a huge surprise.
As expected, the lead actors Engin Akyurek and Tolga Saritas have delivered stunning performances, and the car journey of these two allowed us to view the breathtaking sights of Turkey.
However, the emotional ride failed to bring tears to our eyes or a lump in our throats. The characters could have been made more identifiable in the movie.
In all, Godspeed is a must-watch for the fans of Engin Akyurek and Tolga Saritas.
