Ronggeng Kematian

Posted on September 18, 2025 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl: Do you remember the first Indonesian movie which we watched?

Vampire Bat: Yes, before that, most of the reviews were Korean and Chinese.

Vampire Owl: Yes, and now, most reviews remain Korean, Spanish, Russian and French.

Vampire Bat: The Spanish also had risen in numbers very soon.

Vampire Owl: Well, there are thirty-one languages, so a few will surely have more numbers.

Vampire Bat: Well, all of a sudden, Filippino movies came to the list when it seemed to end with thirty languages of movies.

Vampire Owl: Among Indonesian movies are a few classic ones, right?

Vampire Bat: Yes, one classic horror and one classic superhero, for sure.

Vampire Owl: It is also the one country we have visited.

Vampire Bat: We did not think about watching when we were there in Bali.

[Gets an onion uthappam and three cups of Munnar tea].

What is the movie about? :: In the remote Magunsari village of Central Java in Indonesia, a young man named Imam (Elang El Gibran) is in love with Sulastri (Cindy Nirmala), a charming and beautiful ronggeng dancer, the village’s only true expert in the dance form, and the one who represents the local culture and traditions through her moves, with the woods making sure that the place maintains its cultural heritage separate from the rest of the island. That night, Sulastri is entertaining a number of men in the guest house with her tradition dance. A local man with a mental disease, Akhsan (Allan Dastan), also comes there to propose her while Imam gets there with the ring to provide his proposal to her. When the lights go out all of a sudden, Imam investigates place while Akhsan runs off, only to be attacked from behind and murdered. Later, Sulastri is also not found with her missing, and both her and Imam are never heard of. The village keep searching for her, but with no results, and there is nobody to keep the traditional dancing going on either, with the assigned girls never being as good as her.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Seven years have passed since the incident, and still nothing is found. During this time, a young woman named Larasati (Claresta Taufan Kusumarina) and her boyfriend Hadi (Chicco Kurniawan) makes their usual journey through the woods, and parts ways. Larasati who keeps on walking through the forest on the way home finds a red scarf and an old radio near an old and ruined well which is not in use. When she finds the scarf to be lovely and puts it on, she suddenly is able to dance in the traditional form of ronggeng with so much perfection as if it was done by Sulastri. Larasati seems to be acting under the guidance of Sulastri’s spirit, sometimes seeming to be fully possessed. It is then that four men led by Adit (Revaldo) arrives in the village for a ceremony. They stay in the same guesthouse where the tragedy occurred seven years ago, and there are more sinister events to follow. What could be triggering these events, and what might have happened to the dancer and her lover?

The defence of Ronggeng Kematian :: This movie’s arrival in Amazon Prime Video once again takes us back to the folklore as well as culture and traditions of the lesser-known areas of Indonesia, in the island of Java itself, setting the world to the villages. The movie seems to have realized that the past will remain significant and therefore any folklore can further strengthen a movie. Therefore, the layering seems to be nicely implemented, as we often get a look into the past as much as the present. This does make the mystery more interesting, and it nicely keeps the narrative going. There is also the reality and the magical coming and going. The tension is nicely built not just by the atmosphere, but also through the actions of the characters and the influence of the supernatural. There is that journey to that twist, of which part we will know after some time, but the rest is revealed nicely, and then there is that ending which solves them all. The characters nicely fit into the cultural flavours and situations. Scares do work with the fine visuals that gives a nice touch at all times, for the settings are such boost.

The claws of flaw :: The movie could have always been capable of more, as the premise seems to have already set foot strongly. There are moments which keep pulling it back as we sometimes wonder if there was the attempt to keep the whole thing on the safe zone without going that much into the details. The jump between the timelines might not satisfy everyone, and those who are looking for the usual horror might not get the usual here. The antagonists are also not given much to do in the later part of the film, as they can only act helpless. A few things just seem to happen with the flow and as if they happen because they need to. There is no grand scare, except for the fear added due to mystery and atmosphere; maybe budget constraints were there. There could have been a fine legend being talked about based on the happenings. The early pacing also did have some struggle and confusion, with fear elements holding back for some time. The elements of guilt do not work that strongly around here either.

The performers of the soul :: Claresta Taufan Kusumarina leads the way here with a fantastic performance as the possessed dancer as much as the girl next door who is in love with the boy whom he has always known. The different layers of the character are displayed well by her, even at a time when demonic possession could go so wrong, given the circumstances of the return of the spirit from the other world and its motives. Her body movement during the dance also feels every elegant, even though we are not qualified enough to talk about the dance form. Cindy Nirmala’s dancing skills are also on display very well, and the return from the grave works really well for her. She has her own moments outside the dancing too. Revaldo comes in really well and is well supported by those playing his friends. Chicco Kurniawan makes the viewer feel the terror that is hidden beneath the happy village and its culture and traditions. The roles played by these characters despite not seeming that relevant, are all significant to the overall movie.

How it finishes :: There is something about the Indonesian folklore and ancient beliefs that keeps us interested at all times. Indonesian movies have surely kept us interested, especially the one superhero movie which made us wish that we had our own – Gundala; post which we had Minnal Murali and Lokah Chapter One: Chandra. Then there was the classic horror in the form of Impetigore and a twisted thriller in the form of Photocopier. Ivanna and Grave Torture also had moments which made them work. The movie does not lag behind, even though there are moments when it could have raised the level. We do see that the movie mostly does its job very well. With cultural flavour and scares, along with being a tale of vengeance, this one run strong without deviating from its purpose, a quality that many horror movies have ceased to have. We are brought close to the Indonesian horror yet again with this one, and we hope that there will be many more horror based on folklore, as we remember Stree from around here too.

Release date: 28th March 2024
Running time: 98 minutes
Directed by: Verdi Solaiman
Starring: Cindy Nirmala, Claresta Taufan Kusumarina, Chicco Kurniawan, Krisjiana Baharuddin, Dito Darmawan, Allan Dastan, Elang El Gibran, Nungki Kusumastuti

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Grave Torture

Posted on July 10, 2025 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl: What kind of tortures did vampires historically endure?

Vampire Bat: There is certainly no torture in the grave.

Vampire Owl: You think that all outside graves are the same.

Vampire Bat: All coffins are the same, which makes all graves the same.

Vampire Owl: Well, Uncle Dracula says that death is only the beginning.

Vampire Bat: It is quite a well-known fact because the shadow world is there to be taken.

Vampire Owl: You feel that the afterlife will have a shadow world?

Vampire Bat: It is why people do not enter the world of shadows.

Vampire Owl: Well, they say that we become one of them.

Vampire Bat: Well, vampires are already people of the shadows, as nocturnal as we can get.

[Gets an Uzhunnu Vada and three cups of Vagamon tea].

What is the movie about? :: Sita (Faradina Mufti) and Adil (Reza Rahadian) are siblings who have had a troubled past. Their family owned a bakery in the city, and it was standing strong enough despite facing so many problems from different franchises often with multinational backgrounds. But an attack by a terrorist who believes in the Islamic concept of Siksa Kubur or Grave Torture had shattered their world by the worst way imaginable. The siblings who had to study in an Islamic boarding school due to their newly achieved status as orphans do not keep that much of faith after growing up, especially Sita. She vows to prove that the idea of Grave Torture does not exist, and as she works in a nursing home, finds a wealthy man who had run those orphanages and boarding colleges in the name religion. She feels that the man had wronged her brother in some ways, maybe even did child abuse, and tries to prove that torture of sinners in the grave do not exist by getting under the sands with him.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The man who seems to be a child molester by using religion as cover would be the perfect to go through this process when a person is tested and judged in the grave shortly after burial, and for a terrible person, the torments in the grave would act as a preview of the afterlife punishment. Sita buries herself with the sinner and gets out without hearing anything. But when she tries to air the footage in a television show, it is simply not there. She is branded as a kafir/non-believer due to the same, and she suspects that it is all the fault of Adil. At the same time, she also begins to have visions of dead people or strange things from the other world. As she goes even deeper into the world of the dead, there is more disturbing and supernatural terror on her way. Sita’s highest level of disbelief of the supernatural is gradually weakened by the horror that comes across her, but due to her childhood trauma, she continues to try her best to get to the bottom of this. But the question remains if she can find anything substantial and whether she herself and her brother would survive this. And there is also the question about how the religious authorities would take this.

The defence of Grave Torture :: The movie focuses on what comes from the other world rather than anything else. It gives the early feeling that something grand is to be revealed from the supernatural or created mystery from the beginning itself. The setup from the main character’s skepticism, sibling trauma and religious themes seems to draw the audience to the feeling of upcoming evil really well. The fear elements do start working, and gets better by the end. There is also that emotional side that somewhat works. The family setup in the beginning had provided the emotional touch and the following tension goes through lighting, sound and use of settings—the graveyard, nursing home and every place works just fine. All of these are realistic in what would otherwise feel supernatural, and always watched over by evil which never ceases to exist. As we have known for a very long time, evil always finds a way.

The claws of flaw :: The movie does seem confused in between about what it tries to prove. It seems to be rational at times and during some moments, it seems to focus too much on religion – the result is just unwanted complication which comes in and gets bigger. The struggle can be seen further by the end of the movie, as there is a little too much added here and there to lead to the world of complex natural and supernatural blending. The loss of connection also comes up in between as if to make an unwanted point, and some resolutions are never really reached as if they are subplots going nowhere. Why there are so many things around here which goes on like islands is beyond us. The incoherent ending seems to come right out of this confusion, while the cliches do not leave either. The questioning power of the movie is lost for no real reason, and that strange ending seems to be too forced for anyone to be impressed with. Let us all have faith, but not by fear, and may there be belief with hope without always thinking about torment and torture.

The performers of the soul :: The main character is played by Faradina Mufti as an adult and Widuri Puteri as the teenager, both coming up with some performances of magnificence. Widuri makes a perfect sceptical teenager, and that works for her like a dream with perfection, as her world changes so much, with belief and lack of the same coming from two sides – the child gets caught up in things of seriousness and that grief can be seen all around her. The hopelessness of a child is well-portrayed by her and its worth appreciation as happiness moves into terror in such pace. Faradina is fantastic while playing the adult. Her search for truth rooted in a tragedy of the past makes us feel, but what happens to her character in the end remains a shame. Whenever she is there, we feel confident and so close to unveiling mysteries with a twist. Reza Rahadian is not far behind as the borther-figure, and neither is Muzakki Ramdhan who plays the younger version of the character. The other characters do not feel that much of relevance, and can leave our minds early enough, but not the situations.

How it finishes :: This movie travels in a different path from the other Indonesian movies reviewed by me, but surely is not better than them. Impetigore, Gundala, Photocopier and Ivanna are surely ahead of this particular movie more with content than anything else – they also seemed to have a bigger canvas for characters. There was so much that this movie could have done after that fine beginning, and the struggle could have meant more, but it seems to be happy with what all are already around, and that surely feels safe. To claim safety, it might have left its core behind, but remains an interesting work with enough dose of horror here and there, even though getting too stretchy in between. A better ending would have been more satisfactory, but we are okay with what we have. The Indonesian movies are surely having some interesting elements and the experimentation is surely on the right path. There is always a lot more that we can expect in this particular industry.

Release date: 16th September 2024 (Netflix)
Running time: 117 minutes
Directed by: Joko Anwar
Starring: Faradina Mufti, Widuri Puteri, Reza Rahadian, Christine Hakim, Slamet Rahardjo, Muzakki Ramdhan

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

<<< Click here to go to the previous non-Asian version of supernatural.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Ivanna

Posted on July 1, 2023 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl: This would make a nice name for a modern vampire.

Vampire Bat: I am sure that I have met vampires with such names before.

Vampire Owl: Well, not in this half of the immortal life.

Vampire Bat: There is only one long immortal life and you have to remember the names.

Vampire Owl: If there was a name exactly like this, I would remember.

Vampire Bat: Your memory has faded in the absence of longer nights.

Vampire Owl: With the abundance of artificial lights, you cannot trust the darkness.

Vampire Bat: We still believe in the absence of light.

Vampire Owl: We believe in Uncle Dracula’s ability to bring a darker world.

Vampire Bat: Darkness has already spread far, without his assistance.

[Gets an onion vada and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: Ambar (Caitlin Halderman) and Dika (Jovarel Callum) are siblings who leave their home in the city for the countryside of the island nation after the death of their parents. They are taken to a nursing home owned by their parents’ best friend, with most of the inmates not around there due to Eid coming soon. Even though there are small disagreements, the two are mostly welcome. Agus (Shandy William) takes care of the place with the support of the nurse Rina (Taskya Namya) who is also his girlfriend. The three elders left in the building, Kakek Farid (Yayu Unru), Oma Ida (Rina Hasyim) and Nenek Ani (Yati Surachman) are happy to have the new young ones around there. Ambar’s vision has been failing for some time, and through her faded vision, she feels that she sees things which nobody else can see. She uses a walking stick as the blurred vision often has her struggling to understand the line between reality and imagination. Ambar also has an eerie vision of a past which might have been part of the building where they begin to live.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: Arthur (Junior Roberts) who is the favourite grandson of the elders also makes a visit. He joins Ambar and Dika as they find a headless statue in the basement under one of the rooms. They decide to leave it behind, but soon find that it has reached their drawing room. Each of them feels that one of the others might have brought it inside the home as a prank. Ambar has the vision of a Dutch lady at night, and to her surprise, she is able to see the woman clearly, as she seems to be trying to escape from something. Soon, Nenek Ani goes missing, as she is not found in her room or any of the areas in the main building. They find the diary of the Dutch woman named Ivanna van Dijk (Sonia Alyssa) which tells most of her story which includes their family falling in love with Indonesia and deciding to stay in the nation, but met some terrible fate. So, is this fate going to be repeated once again? Is there a serial killer or a supernatural entity stalking them in the house? How long will it take for the police to come and figure things out on the Eid holiday?

The defence of Ivanna :: This is one movie which is highly atmospheric as far as mysteries and the supernatural are concerned. It uses the darkness very well as a world of mystery and terror should at all times, and the setting is really good. The lighting with the colours of the surroundings adds to the overall style. The background works in its favour, and there are some good sound effects that support the horror. The creepiness never really leaves the movie, as a headless spirit looking to create headless bodies never ceases to create more to inspire the imagination. This world is not that different from a cabin in the woods setting, but the change in setting brings the divergence with ease. The haunted house with a mystery works like the nightmare that we have always wanted. The body without the head has our attention every time it makes an appearance. The fear factor has the support of the unknown to make things further effective. The fine camera work also contributes to the same, as we get the best effects with the angles too. We often see that the simplest thing is often elevated due to some interesting job in the background.

Positives and negatives :: The attempt to create something different from the usual formula of horror needs to be appreciated at all times. It is to be noted that there was also some risk involved with this kind of a topic, but we know that the film did well at the box-office there. We have often looked at Korean, Chinese and Thai movies to lead such paths among Asian flicks, but here we see that Indonesian works have a powerful touch of horror that keeps it interesting even while going through a different journey. There are still repetitions, especially in relation to the headless Dutch lady. It is to be noted that violence is always present, and blood runs through this world with heads being separated from bodies. This film is not that far away from being part of the slasher genre too, as decapacitation of people belonging to any category is the main event of terror happening throughout this movie. Sometimes, we feel that there could be more actions of terrifying murders, but there is one restriction in the way of taking those souls.

The performers of the soul :: The movie has indeed brought some fine performers who suit the genre really well. Caitlin Halderman as Ambar leads the way as the one person makes the difference among the people with clear sight. She plays the struggling youngster really well, and also becomes the scream queen to remember. It can be seen that the fear that she feels is more than what she sees, and it is this image of the faded vision that keeps the film moving in the right direction. Taskya Namya follows a similar path and ends up strong as a supporting scream queen in the movie. We do feel that she could have had even bigger moments in the film. Sonia Alyssa’s work as the titular character is to be remembered too. She would make a fine antagonist in a work not supernatural too. She shines in the flashback scenes too, as we go through the final moments of resistance and death. Shandy William and Junior Roberts plays two usual characters in the horror film, but works really well with the content. The characters from flashback quickly do the job well.

How it finishes :: Indonesia has provided us with some fine horror movies like Impetigore, a movie which feels like a horror classic out of another world. This film here is no different as it makes us feel the supernatural with a vibe that is not usually seen in the usual world of horror. Yet, this particular horror movies makes it feel closer to the horror that could happen in a world that we know well. The power of the need for revenge has been asserted again through the supernatural. The ending seems to make us feel that there could be more of headless supernatural beings. In a world where horror does not get enough accolades, this film gains ground. It is a positive thing for horror fans all around the world. We have always wanted more horror, and we have received too less. It is a necessity to look into more international films right now as the strength of The Conjuring, Annabelle, The Nun trio has also been fading in the last few years. There is not that much that can be expected from Insidious and Sinister series of flicks, which leads us back to the films of Asia.

Release date: 14th July 2022 (Indonesia); 1st December 2022 (Amazon Prime Video)
Running time: 103 minutes
Directed by: Kimo Stamboel
Starring: Caitlin Halderman, Jovarel Callum, Junior Roberts, Shandy William, Sonia Alyssa, Taskya Namya, Yayu Unru, Farid Rina Hasyim, Ida Yati Surachman, Ani Tanta Ginting, Muhammad Khan, Hiroaki Kato, Kenes Andari

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Photocopier

Posted on May 23, 2022 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl: I remember taking the photocopy of the Vampire Deed of Blood.

Vampire Bat: It is originally called the Nocturnal Crimson Deed.

Vampire Owl: That reminds me of the movie, Nocturnal Animals.

Vampire Bat: Do you remember the other Indonesian movies we had watched?

Vampire Owl: Yes, two of them – Impetigore and Gundala.

Vampire Bat: They were some very interesting flicks with a divergence.

Vampire Owl: Yes, one horror film and a superhero flick.

Vampire Bat: It took us some time to watch another Indonesian movie.

Vampire Owl: Well, we can’t watch them all, right?

Vampire Bat: We never get to watch enough of them after the arrival of corona virus and the following warning.

[Gets a blueberry cake and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: Suryani (Shenina Syawalita Cinnamon) is a college student who is also part of the theatre group at the campus, named Mata Hari. After the performance, she returns home to a very strict father and a mother who is always working, far away from the city. At home, she finds out that their performance called Medusa et Perseus in the Student Theatre Festical was accepted for the Asian Student Festival in Kyoto, Japan; her father asks her to focus on her studies. There is a party at the house of their leader Rama Soemarno (Giulio Parengkuan) to celebrate the triumph, but her father does warn her against it, especially related to consuming alcohol and wearing revealing dress. Another girl, a senior named Farah (Lutesha) also asks her not to go to the party, and advices her to instead focus on getting the scholarship that she had always wanted. She feels that Farah is saying so because he was kicked out of the theatre group. The group also finds the suitable sponsors for their flight tickets to Japan.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: The party feels more wild than she had expected, and forgetting what her father had told her, she decides to have the alcohol, even though not without difficulty in drinking it for the first time. She also forgets the earlier decision to leave the party before it gets too late, as she enjoys a lot under the influence of the alcoholic drinks. In the morning, she wakes up very late, and arrives for the scholarship interview on the next day just in time. But she is embarrassed in front of the interviewers who had checked her social media, which had her pictures of drinking alcohol and enjoying the party. Even though she has good scores and attendance, they reiterate to her that drinking alcohol and attending late night parties are not Indonesian culture; they are looking forward to give scholarships to students who set good examples and not those who could go on to become nuisance for the society in the future. They also added that instead of doing work within her department which was Computer Science, she was wasting time with theatre. She had also attended the interview in party wear, and has to walk out of the room humiliated.

And what more is there for the girl in trouble right now? :: The teacher asks her to join the class only after paying her fees, which she can only do with the scholarship. Back at home, she comes to know that her parents had received the message that her scholarship was terminated due to inappropriate conduct. Her father throws her out of the house for breaking the religious laws by drinking alcohol, and tells her that everybody knows about it now, as some guy was carrying her back home, knocking on each door on the way to know her residence. That had caused a big mess in the neighbourhood as it was three in the morning, causing humiliation to the whole family. He asks her to leave and spend time in repentence. The leading performer of the theatre, Anggun (Dea Panendra), the party host Rama (Giulio Parengkuan) and the group leader Tariq (Jerome Kurnia), are all ready to help her, but nobody knows what exactly happened in the drunken state and who uploaded those pictures of her being drunk at the party. Now, she has to find it out herself, can she?

The defence of Photocopier a.k.a. Penyalin Cahaya :: Photocopier nicely goes through the adventure from the beginning to end, keeping us curious, and as a part of the whole mystery that is happening around here. Shenina Syawalita Cinnamon nicely goes through the role of the desperate student hoping to prove to everyone that she didn’t do what she was accused of doing, also desperate to get her scholarship back. The feeling of a curious as well as a sad and depressed girl is always there. Lutesha plays the next person to be of interest here, and her role is also worked out with quality. Dea Panendra as Anggun and Jerome Kurnia as Tariq remain strong parts of the work too. Ruth Marini and Lukman Sardi who plays the protagonist’s father are strong with the emotional side. There is no questioning the movie’s emotional strength as much as its strong elements of mystery, which seems to be almost impossible to solve, unless passed on as hallucinations or with a high dose of luck added here and there. Giulio Parengkuan and Chicco Kurniawan also have their moments.

Positives and negatives :: This is one of those movies which could have actually gone darker with its contents – instead it chooses the safe path. It still has its dark side hiding in plain sight, but strong enough. There seems to be a certain amount of hesitation in taking the risks with this film too. The movie has its fine setting in different parts of Indonesia, and this is a tale which could be put in the worlds of a few other nations too. With a few red herrings, it makes one feel that the innocents and the culprits and vice versa, while also making one wonder if there is actually any mystery about all of these or if it is already in the head. In a movie which feels close enough to reality, you won’t expect this many twists and turns, but there are many, and most of the characters here are not really what they seem. The movie talks about privacy in a world of mobile, CCTV and hidden cameras as well as the factors working on physical and mental health. The movie ponders on life, friendships, trust and betrayal at the same time. Still, there is the question about the uploading of the photos in social media that remains – the film seems to be too abstract about that.

How it finishes :: This is the third Indonesian movie that I am watching, and there was a certain interest in watching such a movie during our earlier trip to Bali too. This is that kind of a movie which doesn’t want us to skip forward even if it is not that quick – we do feel the need to be part of it. The negative effects of social media and lack of safety during night parties are the two things that this movie adds along with the interesting investigation that goes on here with the thrills and twists. It is also a reminder that people and things around are not the same as what we think they are. The movie reminds us that nobody is safe, and not everything that you hear from the most trusted people are true. Well, we know that those who are too rich and influential always gets away unless facing someone of a similar or higher status – in the case of celebrities, we have seen how people get away with everything. Well, not with Photocopier, as it does have the power of many. As it follows a realistic route, there is no stopping it from being something we can connect at points.

Release date: 8th October 2021 (Indonesia); 13th January 2022 (Netflix)
Running time: 131 minutes
Directed by: Wregas Bhanuteja
Starring: Shenina Syawalita Cinnamon, Lutesha, Chicco Kurniawan, Dea Panendra, Jerome Kurnia, Giulio Parengkuan, Lukman Sardi, Ruth Marini, Mian Tiara, Yayan Ruhian, Landung Simatupang, Rukman Rosadi

<<< Click here to go to the previous review.

@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Gundala

Posted on August 1, 2020 by Tennyson

What is the movie about? :: In a world of corruption, poverty, exploitation and income inequality, people struggle to keep their lives going forward despite working so hard throughout the day. None of the hardworking people earns enough to provide to their family members. A number of factories in the city make their workers continue their jobs under terrible conditions without paying them much. A boy watches as his father leads his co-workers in protests against the low wages of the factory where they are working, leading to violence beginning between the people and the security guards employed by the corporates. But the workers bribed by their bosses kill the leader, much to the dismay of the son who witnesses the sequence of events. The worst is that the boy is also struck by lightning and develops a fear for the dark clouds and rain – along with the same, his mother who had left for the city also doesn’t come back, leaving him to live in the streets with no hope to pay the rent for the house. There, he is regularly attacked by other street children.

So, what happens with the events here? :: The boy who is consistently beaten up for trying to help others, finds a helper who teaches him how to defend against others, an advices him to stay out of others’ business, and in a world like this, not minding one’s own business can get the person into big trouble. Even though they decide to catch a train and leave the place, the boy is not able to get to his teacher who boarded the train as he can’t run fast enough to reach the train’s door. Many years later, Sancaka (Abimana Aryasatya) works as a security guard as well as a part-time mechanic in a printing factory, while trying to keep away from trouble as much as possible, due to his experiences during the childhood. But when the girl living next door, Sedhah Esti Wulan (Tara Basro) and her little brother are threatened by a group of thugs, he interferes and throws them away from the apartment. Later, the thugs retaliate as a group, and after beating him up, throws him down from the top of a tall building.

And what more is to follow in this superhero world? :: But Sancaka is hit by lightning on that rainy day, and he awakens, even healing himself completely with the power of the lightning which had struck him. As he saves the helpless Wulan and her friends in a market from the same thugs, she asks him to join her as well as the many poor people who are under threat from the thugs. But things are not that direct as it would seem there. A legislator and crime lord named Pengkor (Bront Palarae) has everything under his control in the lower level of the city, with a gang of orphans under his command. He knows each and every crime which has happened in the city, and is planning to come up with something huge to create chaos and destruction in the city. With a scar and a limp which he had from his childhood, he would stop at nothing to hurt anyone who stand against him. Sooner or later, Sancaka will have to become Gundala, while his friends including Wulan who is falling in love with him are also under threat. Can he live up to the expectation and be the symbol of hope for everyone?

The defence of Gundala :: We have always been in need of superheroes, especially those who are not from Hollywood, especially not from Marvel or DC. We have always loved Shaktimaan from our childhood, and so the need has always been there. With Avengers finishing the job, and the biggest superheroes Iron Man and Captain America out of he equation, we are always looking for possible alternatives. We can gladly say that this is indeed one, and this time, we have a realistic one in a believable world, with less use of powers and more of martial arts. The action is all done in very well, and there is enough of it, especially when we consider this as an origin story. The dystopian setting is also really well done, and we get to be with the people who undergo the struggle against those people who forces them to stay at the lowest level. In one way or the other, these people are having their own Batman, but with some superpowers – maybe he is a little bit of Captain America with the ideology he later develops, but these are all nicely evolved, and developed to fit our interests here.

Positives and negatives :: This is not to be checked out like you do for those big CGI filled movies like Avengers and the others, because of its existence closer to realism. It has to be noted that Gundala Putra Petir was also the first comic book adaptation in the nation, and it dealt with the same superhero in 1981. Indonesia is supposed to have a superhero movie franchise like Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) called the BumiLangit Cinematic Universe (BCU), from what we read about them, and with one more superhero introduced with our main hero, we can be sure that there will be more to come in the next few years, even though the Corona Virus delay could still be there. We haven’t really been aware of the same, but there are some fine superheroes who could come to be big screen, and it would be nice to watch them all, just like we had supported the heroes of Marvel and DC. If they are to be like our hero here, we can be sure that all of them can feel close to our lives than the extra dose of metahuman-alien stuff that Hollywood has been providing with the CGI. Here, the nicely created world works with minimum CGI, and connects so well.

Performers of the soul :: Tara Basro played the protagonist in Impetigore, and she is here too, as the actress who has just turned thirty and also got married this year, brings another fine performance to her credit. As we look at it, we know that she is also supposed to play a superhero which she is to become in another movie in the franchise. She has already done enough to prove here as the Hollywood style scream queen, and here, her existence in the action movies seems to be able to provide the same wonderful effect – we would need to see her as the superhero soon enough, along with other popular names who are to be part of the upcoming projects of this franchise’s universe. Abimana Aryasatya is a solid superhero here, and he makes the Indonesian Batman in Jakarta City instead of Gotham City, taking on crime and saving innocent citizens. He makes us go through his emotions and ideology as we wealk his path. We also have some strong villain with Bront Palarae being very much menacing, along with assassins including Kelly Tandiono, Asmara Abigail, Hannah Al Rashid and others. Ario Bayu whom we had seen in Impetigore is also here, making an impact.

How it finishes :: This movie comes from Joko Anwar, who is the same director that brought us, the high quality horror thriller named Impetigore. Even though this movie belongs to a completely different genre, we can see the director’s skills at work yet again. We have known many superheroes already, and this one is based on the Indonesian comics character Gundala created by Harya Suraminata in 1969 – it is nice to know that we do have more of superheroes with variety in store. It is always great to have some home-grown superheroes, but not like that ridiculous thing called Krrish which doesn’t feel Indian, original or really heroic in any way, but Shaktimaan type are always welcome. Indonesia has achieved that so well, and this movie is also fine work, not just as an entertainer, but also in many other ways, as this is more than your usual superhero movie. After my last visit to Bali, this is the closest that I have managed to get to loving Indonesia, and we are to fall in love with Indonesian movies if there are more films like this one. After all, this one stays closer to the values of the common man that even the Dark Knight could ever do.

Release date: 28th August 2019
Running time: 123 minutes
Directed by: Joko Anwar
Starring: Abimana Aryasatya, Tara Basro, Bront Palarae, Ario Bayu, Rio Dewanto, Lukman Sardi, Fariz Fadjar, Aqi Singgih, Marissa Anita, Hannah Al Rashid, Asmara Abigail, Daniel Adnan, Cornelio Sunny, Kelly Tandiono

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Impetigore

Posted on July 28, 2020 by Tennyson

Vampire Owl: This should be one strange case of gore.

Vampire Bat: The original title in Indonesian is rather too long.

Vampire Owl: Well, at least we get to review an Indonesian movie this time.

Vampire Bat: Yes, after that visit to Bali last year, it was needed to happen at some point.

Vampire Owl: Corona Virus did make sure that it was one final foreign trip.

Vampire Bat: Well, we are now more distant from other parts of the world than ever.

Vampire Owl: At least the human pride in their technology is now crushed.

Vampire Bat: Yes, now they know that science cannot bring them everything.

Vampire Owl: You cannot take science to attack nature, for it is too dumb an action.

Vampire Bat: Well, the vampire elders have made that clear too.

[Gets a mango cake and three cups of cardamom tea].

What is the movie about? :: Maya (Tara Basro) with her best friend, Dini (Marissa Anita), are trying to survive in a city without family or relatives to support them, as they work at expressway tolls. But they never really earns enough money to keep them going in the big city. On a fateful night, Maya is attacked by a man who had been stalking her for a long time, and as he discovers a mark on her right thigh, tells her that he should kill her to keep a curse away, but the police arrives in time and shoots the man. A few days later, the two girls leave their jobs and start a small clothes store in a corner of a market, and nobody really visits their place. The business is making them no profit at all, and they keep thinking about a way out. It is then that Maya comes up against a photo from her childhood which shows her standing with her parents in front of a big house, and she also manages to get an address at a remote village which is not in the Google Maps, but is part of the territory.

So, what happens with the events here? :: They travel all the way there, and finds out that not many people wants to go to the village area, except for one young man who charges them a lot. When they reach the village, they find the house to be locked and deserted, with nature taken over parts of it. The lack of maintenance was surely there as far as the house was concerned, but it was indeed a lot spacious inside, and it also had all the furniture there, as well as some lighting which could be used along with the option for getting some water. Yet there is something wrong with the village and the house where Maya had lived with her parents. The villagers believe that the house belonged the demons and there was a curse associated with it from a long time ago. There are also deaths happening in the village, and it seems to be children who are facing death. The two girls are afraid that if they tell the truth, it might be troublesome, and they pretend to be research students from a nearby university. But who long can they keep the lie going against terror awaiting to unleash on them?

The defence of Impetigore :: There is a talented cast which makes sure that this movie never losses its strength, and the lead Tara Basro seems to be that king of an actress who would be part of a horror movie instantly if it was in Hollywood, and Marissa Anita as well as Asmara Abigail also maintains such qualities. If you have a look at it, you will know that Indonesian movies are also superior in horror, and among the East Asian movies, you just can’t give all the credit to the Korean movies only, with the level being consistently increased with those from different languages. The atmosphere of the movie is just too good, and we feel that mystery and horror running through the stylish, abandoned, rural world. The setting is such a big advantage that you are going to get immersed in it. The visuals are really good, and you can see the environment coming up with natural beauty as well as the horror of the world that lies at almost every corner.

Positives and negatives :: As a stable mystery horror thriller, Impetigore is that kind of a movie which is difficult to find faults with, having the same level maintained for most part of it. Still, people can always find some problem with horror movies, and here also they would wonder about how the main characters are acting when facing certain terror being present all around there – but, that kind of a judgment has always been flawed in the soul itself because people are basically supposed to be like that, being evil as well as dumb whenever the emotional side takes on. The building can be considered slow, but it is more or less expected because the grandeur of terror had to rise step by step to create the best of impact. The familiar horror contents have more additions here too. The superstitions and the beliefs in curses and spells also gets a place, and it stays close to more of Indonesian style as we look at it, and we feel that it is nice to understand a different folklore. The beautiful shots along with the shadow puppetry can make some people strange with its beauty, but they add to this being one of the best shot movies of all-time.

Performers of the soul :: We do have our focus on how well Tara Basro is handling her work here as the protagonist, the grown up child who is supposed to be cursed with something which she has no clue about. Marissa Anita who plays her friend also has her moments which make a difference, and she even has a funny side here which brings a smile on the face as humour strikes against the horror which is always present. It is still a shame that we don’t see her throughout the movie, or at least until the last few moments of the tale. Faradina Mufti also has her charm in the flashbacks, and we see that added to the beauty of the visuals of the grand past. You would also love Asmara Abigail who might be the best noticed supporting character who seem not important in the beginning, but elevates the level when she gets a part to play in the final stages. Then you have Ario Bayu who has the best role of to play among the male characters in a female dominated movie, and he does very well, and so does Christine Hakim here.

How it finishes :: Among all the common horror movies in Hollywood and its lame partial adaptations in Bollywood, Impetigore stands apart. It shows how horror can be done using the local legend and after building a flashback out of possible folklore which might have always been there. A number of Malayalam movies from the past had successfully attained success with the use of local legends and myths, and Impetigore is one Indonesian movie which does the same, maybe in a more effective way than any other horror movie has done in the last few years. You are taken into the atmosphere of the movie, as you become part of that setting, which is not just strange, but also terrifying even without showing that much of horror on the screen. What is seen might be scary, but what is not seen or implied feels even scarier in this film which is also about what doesn’t meet the eye. This is the first Indonesian movie that I ever watched, and it is highly effective indeed. I am watching this movie an year after my visit to Indonesia too!

Release date: 17th October 2019
Running time: 106 minutes
Directed by: Joko Anwar
Starring: Tara Basro, Ario Bayu, Marissa Anita, Christine Hakim, Asmara Abigail, Kiki Narendra, Zidni Hakim, Faradina Mufti, Abdurrahman Arif, Muhammad Abe Baasyin, Mursiyanto, Aura Agna, Ahmad Ramadhan, Devona Queeny, Sindris Ogiska G