Where Is Turgistan? Netflix Action Movie's Fake Country Looks Very Familiar (2024)

Turkmenistan and its authoritarian leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov seem to have inspired the production of a big-budget American movie.

The $150 million 6 Underground focuses on the story of a U.S. tech billionaire who wants to bring democracy to the fictional country of Turgistan by taking down its evil dictator.

The action-packed thriller, released by streaming giant Netflix on December 13, appears to be inspired by the Central Asian nation of Turkmenistan and its real-life despot, Berdymukhammedov.

State symbols of the fictional Turgistan bear a striking resemblance to those of Turkmenistan, while residents of Turgistan seem to speak Turkmen and also bear Turkmen names.

The unnamed billionaire, played by Hollywood star actor Ryan Reynolds, plots a coup to topple the Turgistan strongman, President Rovach Alimov, and install the president's jailed brother, Murat, as the "country's" new leader.

To implement his plan the billionaire, who calls himself One, recruits five people: a spy, a hit man, a thief, a doctor, and a driver who all then use the pseudonyms Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six, respectively.

Six eventually gets killed and One hires a former sniper of an elite special operation force -- who he names Seven.

After a series of events, the team hacks into Turgistan's state TV channel during an address by the president and instead broadcasts a speech by Murat.

Murat's speech inspires people to rise up against the president.

As the dictator tries to flee, his yacht comes under attack. The movie includes multiple scenes of violent chases, fighting, and explosions.

Striking Resemblances

Directed by Michael Bay, the movie was filmed in Hungary, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.

Turkmenistan's residents will not be able to watch 6 Underground anytime soon as Netflix is blocked in the secretive country, where the government severely restricts people's freedom and access to information.

The government has also banned international social media sites and major Western-based, independent news sites.

There are even more similarities between the fictional Turgistan and Berdymukhammedov's Turkmenistan.

Both are repressive states run by unpopular dictators and, in fact, the Turgistan leader's first name -- Rovach -- is the same as the favorite stallion of the equine-mad Berdymukhammedov.

One of Berdymukhammedov's latest songs, Rovach, was dedicated to his horse and broadcast on state TV in April.

Just like Ashgabat, Turgistan's capital Tyrus seems to be dotted with large monuments of its leaders and heroes. And both countries call their national currency the manat.

But that seems to be where the similarities end.

Despite being in the midst of its worst economic situation since gaining independence in 1991, there does not seem to be any sign of an imminent revolt in Turkmenistan. That is largely due to the fact that Berdymukhammedov and his predecessor, Saparmurat Niyazov, brutally suppressed their political opposition, imprisoning opponents and forcing critics into self-exile abroad.

Written by Farangis Najibullah based on reporting by RFE/RL's Turkmen Service
  • Where Is Turgistan? Netflix Action Movie's Fake Country Looks Very Familiar (2)

    RFE/RL's Turkmen Service

    RFE/RL's Turkmen Service is the only international Turkmen-language media reporting independently on political, economic, cultural, and security issues from inside one of the the world’s most reclusive countries.

    webteam@rferl.org

Where Is Turgistan? Netflix Action Movie's Fake Country Looks Very Familiar (2024)

FAQs

What country is 6 Underground based on? ›

Turkmenistan and its authoritarian leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov seem to have inspired the production of a big-budget American movie. The $150 million 6 Underground focuses on the story of a U.S. tech billionaire who wants to bring democracy to the fictional country of Turgistan by taking down its evil dictator.

Is the movie 6 Underground based on a true story? ›

These are new times now, Michael Bay is finally free from the creativity-killing grasp of Transformers and his most recent film, 6 Underground, is not based on a true story. A billionaire tech-genius, codenamed One (Ryan Reynolds), decides to use his vast wealth and resources for the greater good.

Why does Netflix show different movies in different countries? ›

We do our best to offer titles for a region that we think people there will enjoy. What's popular with members in the United States may not be in the United Kingdom, even though they're both English-speaking countries. More than one studio or distributor may own the rights for a title.

How do you see if a movie is on Netflix in another country? ›

Go to the Netflix website and you should see the country site for the location of your selected server. Select a movie or TV show from that countries Netflix library and enjoy!

Why did 6 Underground fail? ›

We didn't feel like we got there on that one creatively,” Stuber recently told Variety about Bay's movie. “It was a nice hit, but at the end of the day we didn't feel like we nailed the mark to justify coming back again. There just wasn't that deep love for those characters or that world.”

Why am I seeing so many foreign films on Netflix? ›

There's a demand for foreign content and netflix is a good place to provide that. Not like some other mouse house that straight up buys exclusive worldwide streaming rights and make it only available in the originating region. Lots of movies are made in other countries and languages.

Which country has the most movies on Netflix? ›

SurfShark found that Netflix in the United States has the most titles overall—5,879 movies and shows—while Canada has the biggest catalog of movies specifically, with 4,043 films.

How to block foreign movies on Netflix? ›

To filter content by original language, you'll need to use your browser and go to the Netflix website. From there, click Browse by Languages near the top of your screen. Next, make sure to select Original Language in the preferences.

Can I share my Netflix account with family in a different home? ›

A Netflix account is meant to be shared by people who live together in one household. People who are not in your household will need to use their own account to watch Netflix. Learn more about sharing Netflix. Account owners can buy an extra member slot and invite people outside their household to use Netflix.

Which VPN country is best for Netflix? ›

When you're selecting a VPN to stream Netflix, you'll want to consider how many international content libraries it unlocks. Generally, we found that most servers in the US, UK, Canada, South Africa, Romania and Australia worked flawlessly.

How does Netflix know I'm using a VPN? ›

Netflix can detect such DNS leaks and identify you are on a VPN. Netflix keeps a track of all the requests it has seen so far and their IP addresses. If it detects a suspiciously high volume of traffic from one IP address, it can flag that IP address as VPN.

Was 6 Underground filmed in Italy? ›

Where it was filmed '6 Underground' Shot in California, the United Arab Emirates and Italy. A fluorescent-green Alfa Romeo causes panic in the traffic of the historical centre of Florence: dodging shoot outs and various incidents, it crosses the Lungarno and Piazza Cavalleggeri, outside the Biblioteca Nazionale.

Was 6 Underground filmed in Hong Kong? ›

6 Underground was filmed in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Budapest, Florence, Los Angeles, Rome, Siena and Taranto. The complete list of the locations with latitude and longitude coordinates are listed below in the table.

Did Ryan Reynolds write 6 Underground? ›

Written by Reynolds' “Deadpool” collaborators Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, “6 Underground” follows six people who fake their own death and team up to take down bad guys as an elite action squad.

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