Mustang

Lale's teacher, who is moving to Istanbul, bids farewell to the class. The moment hints at the distance between the village and the wider world they long to reach. The sisters feel a mix of pride and longing as they prepare for a long walk home.

The sisters choose to walk home instead of taking a van. Along the way they reach the beach and join a rowdy game of chicken fight with their male classmates, testing boundaries. The moment foreshadows the clashes that will come when strict rules close in again.

Back at home, their grandmother punishes them for any physical contact with boys. Uncle Erol's furious reaction reinforces the new, harsher rules. From this point the sisters are forbidden to leave the house.

The grandmother begins steering the sisters toward early marriages. In public, the sisters must dress in drab, conservative clothing and stay home to learn cooking, cleaning, and sewing. The family sees marriage as a way to secure their futures.

Sonay continues to sneak out to see her lover despite the new rules. Her defiance foreshadows the sisters' shared longing to break free.

Lale loves football and is forbidden from attending Trabzonspor matches. She learns of an all-female crowd traveling to a match and plans to join, hoping for an opportunity to escape. The family's restrictions threaten their future, but she clings to a chance at freedom.

The sisters sneak out, miss the bus, and hitch a ride with a passing truck driver named Yasin. They reach the all-female crowd and enjoy the electric atmosphere of the game. Their aunt, watching on TV, cuts the house's electricity—and then the village's power—to keep their whereabouts from being revealed.

Back in town, the grandmother takes the sisters to meet potential husbands. Sonay refuses to meet the suitor and his family, vowing to marry only her lover. Selma is sent to be engaged, while Sonay is later engaged to her own beloved.

Next in line for marriage is Ece, who is secretly being sexually abused by Erol. During a stop near a bank, she allows a boy to have sexual contact with her in a car, then returns home and jokes at the lunch table. She dies by suicide, and the family attends her funeral.

With Ece gone, Nur and Lale remain trapped as Erol's abuse continues, now targeting Nur. Lale sneaks out again, and a plan to escape begins to form. The family tightens the house's protections, even placing bars on the windows.

On the night of Nur's impending wedding, Lale convinces Nur to resist. The sisters barricade themselves inside while the wedding party remains outside, embarrassing the family. Erol tries to force entry as the commotion subsides.

Lale discovers a hidden phone and uses it to call Yasin for help. The sisters gather money, supplies, and Erol's car keys, then escape, crashing the car near their house. Yasin picks them up and takes them to a bus station; they board a bus to Istanbul and are warmly greeted by their former teacher.