A Match Made in Hell: Can Evrenol on Reimagining ‘The Coffee Table’

Ahead of the UK premiere of The Turkish Coffee Table at FrightFest Halloween 2025, Turkish filmmaker Can Evrenol opens up about the boldest, darkest film of his career – a jaw-dropping remake that’s set to shock audiences and redefine what horror-comedy can be.

Evrenol, best known for his cult hits Baskin and Housewife, is no stranger to pushing the envelope. But with The Turkish Coffee Table, he’s taken on his first ever remake – adapting Caye Casas’s The Coffee Table into something uniquely personal, culturally specific, and brutally funny. “Most of my short and feature films are about family,” Evrenol explains. “The social claustrophobia of the family — mostly there’s a baby, usually there’s death in the family and mostly there’s a key scene around the dinner table! It was a match made in heaven for me. Or hell, for that matter!”

It’s a twisted match indeed. The plot – a couple’s petty argument over a coffee table spiralling into a horrifying mess – provides fertile ground for Evrenol’s favourite themes: social pressure, moral decay, and sudden emotional gear shifts. “I just treated it as a cultural translation where I had full creative licence,” he says. “The story felt like it was bound to go even deeper and crazier once set up in Turkey, because of the madness of modern Turkey.”

Casting was crucial. To ground the film’s madness, Evrenol sought someone with charisma and mainstream appeal, a move inspired by the success of dramatic turns from comic actors like Adam Sandler. “I wanted to do this with a Turkish comedy star. Just like Adam Sandler doing Uncut Gems. But I didn’t think any of the comedy stars in Turkey would be interested in such a dark experiment of the human soul… until I met Alper Kul! He was amazing. So was Alg? Eke who plays the wife.”

That balance of darkness and absurdity – the emotional freefall from laughter to horror – is what gives The Turkish Coffee Table its punch. “None,” says Evrenol, when asked about censorship or moral constraints. “I went as dark or as funny as the original did — if not more. I think I did push the envelope a bit more, with full respect and in awe of the original.”

It’s this fearless approach that ties The Turkish Coffee Table to the rest of Evrenol’s body of work. “Family. Dark fate. Social claustrophobia. Sudden mood changes,” he summarises, describing the thematic throughlines that connect his latest to Baskin, Sayara, and Girl With No Mouth.

Even for fans who know the original film, this version promises surprises. “I hope those who’ve seen the original will be happily surprised by the acting, the cinematography, and the ending of our film. Also, the music. But mostly the sterile weirdness of the whole thing. It’s a bold remake, in tone.”

Shooting one scene in particular proved a defining moment – a moment of emotional depth and tonal risk that set the bar for the rest of production. “The very first scene when our lead character is confronted with the death of his baby. That was the day when we all thought, OK this will be the bomb! The actor was positively very worried to get it right. He had never done such a dark scene in his storied career.”

It’s no wonder that Evrenol sees the release of this film as a career milestone. “This will be the biggest home release of my career. It’s exciting. It will be on theatres across the country. People will be shocked — and double shocked to find themselves laughing at this.”

And even with this major theatrical release just around the corner, Evrenol’s creative energy isn’t slowing down. “I am currently on the post-production of my first non-genre feature film which I shot over the summer in my own neighbourhood with an extremely tight crew and non-professional (but amazing) actors. It’s a strictly +18, erotic, punk, and emotional love letter to French New Wave; titled Beril_XXX.”

The Turkish Coffee Table premieres at FrightFest Halloween 2025 on Saturday 1 November at 6.40pm and 7.10pm at The ODEON Luxe West End. Can Evrenol will be in attendance for what promises to be a chaotic, hilarious, and haunting cinematic experience.