Love Me Instead

Love Me Instead

Year: 2021

Runtime: 124 mins

Language: Turkish

Director: Mehmet Ada Öztekin

Echo Score: 80
Drama

Accompanied by a ward, a prisoner travels to his hometown to reconnect with his daughter and make amends, but a tragic truth mars his journey.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen Love Me Instead yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline – Love Me Instead (2021)

Trace every key event in Love Me Instead (2021) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Musa gets a one-day parole to see his daughter

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.

Prison
2

Sedat is assigned to escort Musa to meet Yonca

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.

Prison to Musa's home
3

Flashback: Musa’s past actions and their consequences

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.

Flashback
4

Flashback continuation: consequences unfold

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.

Flashback
5

Musa meets Yonca for the first time

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.

Yonca's home
6

They sneak out and roam the town

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.

Town; old restaurant
7

The neighborhood danger and Haluk's predation

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.

Nuriye's neighborhood
8

Musa's mother and memory loss

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's mother's home
9

Departure to the bus station and mounting emotion

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.

Bus station route
10

The reveal: Yonca is not Musa's daughter

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.

Bus station / house
11

Musa chooses vengeance over mercy

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.

Neighborhood
12

Musa dies at the hands of the police

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.

City streets
13

Epilogue: Layla honors Musa

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.

Dinner scene

Last Updated: October 01, 2025 at 10:25

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Love Me Instead Summary

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Love Me Instead Summary

Characters, Settings & Themes in Love Me Instead

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Love Me Instead

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Love Me Instead Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Love Me Instead

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