Written and directed by Joko Anwar. Starring Tara Basro, Bront Palarae, Ayu Laksmi, Endy Arfian, Nasar Anuz and Muhammad Adhiyat.
Plot: four children are haunted by the death of their mother, who died of a debilitating disease.
Also known as Pengabdi Setan, this Indonesian horror movie is about a once famous singer who dies, leaving her husband and four children to grieve her. The husband, Bahri (Palarae) has to make money for them, so he goes into town. And the phone is cut off, so they can’t reach him when things start to get really scary on them.
First, the children, Rini (Basro), Tony (Arfian), Bondi (Anuz) and Ian (Adhiyat), start hearing things, like the bell their mother used to call for help before she died. Then, the children start seeing things, like actual apparations of their late mother. Then, it gets even worse. Tony starts to believe his mother made a deal with the devil so that she could have kids, so their neighbor says they should turn to Allah for help.
I don’t even want to give away the ending. It’s equal parts creepy and sad. The whole movie is scary though. I definitely wouldn’t watch this alone. Even the camera angles themselves are disturbing. The characters were so likable. Little Ian was adorable. The script was superb. The specials were more than effective. The acting was terrific. Even the Freddy Claws was amazing. Watch it. And soon.
I suppose I could list my favorite movies here, but instead I'll give you a strange glimpse into what makes me TaraRomero.
1. I met George Romero. He was the kindest and sweetest man. He talked to me for longer than he should have with the line getting longer. He also held my hand. And when he noticed the ladybug I have tattooed on my wrist, he said he liked it and asked me it's name. Till then, it had not had a name. Now, I call him George.
2. I love stickers. All stickers. I just adore them. I even ask for stickers for Christmas! As a matter of fact, the birthday that just past, every member of my immediate family gave me sticker packs as gifts. Affordable and extremely appreciated.
3. I have never put much stock in astrology or horoscopes, but I LOVE the magic of the MBTI. Omg. I am an INFP and it actually sounds just like me. Introverted mostly. Creative always. Heart before head and not the most logical. Totally me! For better or worse.
4. It's no surprise I count horror so high up on the list of things that make me, me. However, it's so within my soul that I was part of the Horror Club in college. Interesting bunch. And even took a Horror Lit class as an elective. I got an A.
5. Coffee always makes me happy. Always. I'm particularly fond of caramel macchiatos. But I'll drink black coffee if it's the only thing available.
6. I hate shock for the sake of shock and endings that depress me. I always mention the movies Within (2016) and the Eli Roth produced, written and starred in, Aftershock (2012), as proof of this distate I have. I abhor the idea that just because I like horror, some people think I'd actually praise a movie that lets you think the "Final Girl" just made it through the night, only to slap her in the face with a tsunami.
7. We are big time animal people. I mean, if I could, I'd have an elephant, a bear, a zebra, a penguin, an otter and a meerkat, living with me. Seriously though. We have 2 dogs right now and 2 cats. Both cats we picked up when they each came to our front door hungry. And both dogs we got from 2 different sets of neighbors. Both who, unfortunately, don't know how to care for pets long-term. But they're happy and healthy now!!
8. Revisiting my love of horror, one of the above cats, my cat, is a little black guy named Church. Because Pet Sematary. His middle name is even Pascow. To give credit where credit's due, the name was DJ's idea. But he loves horror too!
9. I'm big into art. Along with movie posters and an Anne Frank quote, I have some actual paintings on my wall. I really think Dali paints beautifully when he wants to. And if I don't get to see Michaelangelo's Pieta in person some day, I will be very disappointed.
10. Lastly, I find Emily Dickinson's poetry intriguing. I took an elective course about her as well. But do you know I injected horror even there? I was given a poem to dissect and I picked one on death, of course. Then, I researched old "Death Photos" and even printed out copies for everyone in the class. They were so interested in looking at them that it stopped them from all looking at me, and I was able to deal quite well with my stage fright. Haha
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