It’s difficult to classify “The Things You Kill” properly, a film drifting into the revenge genre as much as it possesses an undeniable overtone of mystery, simultaneously knocking on the door of a slight psychological element. One thing is certain: finding the answer seems to require a pace on the slower end of the power meter, a build that leads to a conclusion failing to make the nearly two-hour runtime move any quicker.

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As the film opens and we meet our lead, Turkish-born Ali (Ekin Koç), it’s learned without delay that he cares for his ailing mother, though his father (Ercan Kesal) can hardly hold back his disdain over Ali’s apparent lack of more frequent visits. When not holding a part-time position teaching language translation on a university level, worrying that diminishing class sizes may result in the elimination of his role, he and his wife Hazar (Hazar Ergüçlü) have struggled with infertility, the fault of which Ali believes might solely rest upon him due to low sperm count. As he deliberately withholds this information from Hazar, it isn’t long before he learns of his mother’s sudden passing, followed soon after by an argument amongst the gathered family and, in a subsequent scene, the appearance of a somewhat unusual gentleman, Reza (Erkan Kolçak Köstendil), turning up as if our of nowhere at Ali’s rural property with an offer to tend to his floundering garden. With this employment agreement solidified, Ali now turns his attention towards his mother’s death and the circumstances surrounding said event; how she died might indicate foul play, and a history of abuse stemming from his father seems to label him a suspect in the eyes of his son. As Ali gradually looks into the matter further, revealing an affair his father had been involved with only serves to throw a wrench into the gears. At the same time, a meeting with local police draws unwanted attention to Ali, who now believes he might be considered a suspect with regard to the recent disappearance of his father. It’s safe to say that writer/director Alireza Khatami enjoys plotlines.

But where does it lead? What, exactly, is the core message? Ali’s quest could make for an intriguing enough journey if a bit cliché. Still, the detours into his difficulties having children and even the appearance of Reza’s struggle to find a home within it all. While Reza’s reluctant assistance does indeed factor into the activities of a seemingly vengeful Ali, at minimum, an Ali who wants the truth, even this loses momentum at the film’s midpoint, failing to set up a satisfying third act. It’s unclear if there was ever a modicum of potential present as cameras rolled on “The Things You Kill” or if this exists simply as a handful of half-baked stories with no clear connective tissue. The vast scenery sprawling around Ali’s farmstead serves as a perfect metaphor for all that unfolds around it; like a dusty expanse, there’s not much here.

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Fortunately, no one cast member falls short in their core duty, even if shortcomings on behalf of screenplay fail this group more often than not; could this, ultimately, be the film’s most glaring issue? This is not a difficult film to follow, nor is understanding the characters similarly tricky. As the film approaches its conclusion and Ali finds himself in a meeting to discuss whether he’ll teach next semester, the haggard Ali proceeds to open up, diving into his childhood and the genesis for the strained relationship he shares with his father. It’s one of the film’s most revealing moments. It just takes far too long to arrive. [C-]