Love Me Instead

Musa has spent 14 years in prison and has three years left on his sentence. He is granted a special single-day pass to visit his daughter, the chance to reconnect after so long. A prison guard named Sedat is assigned to escort him to his home and bring him back afterward.

Sedat, the guard, accompanies Musa on the day trip with the explicit mission to arrange the reunion with his daughter Yonca. He also ensures Musa returns to prison in time to resume his sentence. The escort carries a tense, watchful dynamic between the two men.

A flashback reveals that Musa shot and killed a man who attempted to sexually abuse Nuriye. The act marks the start of a tangled history involving an extramarital affair and a rapid collapse of Musa's family life.

The flashback shows Musa surrendering to the police after the killing. His wife promises he will never see their daughter again, and she dies in a traffic accident, leaving their daughter to be cared for by wary relatives and eventually by Nuriye.

Musa is overwhelmed with joy as he meets his daughter Yonca, the first time they have seen each other since she was a toddler. The moment is tender but also heavy with years of absence and unspoken questions.

Musa and Yonca slip out while Sedat naps and wander the town together. They revisit places from Musa's childhood, including a restaurant he used to frequent, forging a connection through shared memories.

Yonca's neighborhood is plagued by drug dealers, led by Haluk who runs a gambling and bar den. Haluk preys on Yonca and his disturbing fetish for schoolgirls hints at the danger surrounding her life.

Musa's mother is still alive but suffers intermittent dementia and does not recognise him at first. This adds emotional distance to Musa's day as he tries to connect with his past and his daughter.

Musa, Nuriye, Sedat and Yonca head toward the bus station so Musa can depart. He becomes emotionally overwhelmed and begins to question Yonca's identity, sensing something is off about the situation.

Just as departure looms, Musa's mother seemingly regains her memory and reveals that the girl he has met is not his daughter. He learns that his real daughter died years ago, and a nurse had lied to spare him the truth by presenting another girl as his daughter.

Rejecting Sedat's pleading, Musa goes to the neighborhood to avenge his daughter's death, shooting the gang members one by one. Sedat warns him not to kill, but Musa presses on with ruthless resolve.

After carrying out his vendetta, Musa is shot by the arriving police. The final confrontation ends with Musa dead on the streets, his actions leaving a mark on those who knew him and Yonca's new life.

In the closing scene, Layla—now a law graduate—dines with Sedat, Sedat's wife, and Nuriye. They raise a toast to Musa and declare him their father; a framed photo of Musa and Layla is shown to seal his legacy.