Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- tense
- confrontational
- intimate
- adult drama night
- contemporary cinema discovery
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Meral and Anna must ultimately contend with a world that positions women against one another while their survival depends on mutual support.
The entire conflict unfolds inside Istanbul's sole strip club, where the dancers' positions are shaped by performance and authority.
Meral's decision to mentor Anna creates a direct succession struggle when the newcomer becomes powerful enough to replace her.
Anna's identity as a Belarusian dancer distinguishes her from the club's existing order and intensifies the contest for dominance.
Films like Sultana, and why
Hustlers
shares a women-centered crime drama framework, professional rivalry, and solidarity formed under exploitative power structures
Showgirls
shares a theatrical nightlife setting, ambitious female performers, and a volatile struggle for status and control
The Assistant
shares an intimate workplace drama concerned with misogynistic power, institutional exploitation, and female agency
Movie Details
- Director
- Ali Kemal Güven
- Release Date
- 2026-04-17
- Runtime
- 120 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (3)
Cast
- Tuba Büyüküstün
- Derya Pınar Ak
- Seray Kaya
- Begüm Akkaya
- Rojbin Erden
- Şirin Saldamlı
- Itır Esen
- Taro Emir Tekin
- Hakan Kurtaş
- Nur Sürer
Common questions
- What is Sultana about?
- Inside Istanbul’s only strip club, a reigning performer and her gifted protégé turn mentorship into a fierce contest for power, survival, and solidarity.
- What is Sultana like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Sultana as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Sultana violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Sultana.
- Which films are like Sultana?
- Films with a similar feel include Hustlers, Showgirls, and The Assistant.
- How long is Sultana?
- Sultana runs 120 minutes.
