Munafik 2

Munafik = Hypocrite

The original installment made grossing history of collecting approximately RM 20 million which is a big leap at that time in Malaysia and its neighbouring countries such as Indonesia and Singapore, two and a half years later comes the awaited sequel everyone has been longing for. It is as if you still haven't gotten the idea, Munafik 1 is known to have been the scariest, if not the best horror movie of 2016 in the continent of Asia. Will Munafik 2 live up to its success or will it fall down the dread hole eaten by its own hypocrisy of turning this into a cash-grab movie?

The sequel takes on a heavier and wider approach than the predecessor and that shows the maturity of the progress made for a better film and it pulls off successfully well.

Syamsul Yusof, the director, actor, editor and etc of Munafik 2 (Donald Glover's Malaysia, variety of talents) proves it again that he can break the tire and dire formula of horror films where the first act of the movie is the little to no scariness and lots of draggy parts for merely character developments while the audience thinks if they are watching a horror film or else but this guy... he does it by starting the movie with lots of scares that would make some of you at the edge of your seat not preparing for the demons to appear at all. He will leave you in the hall breathless since the very beginning.

The energy in this movie is so strong and vigorous that constitutes from one effective scene to another which consequently makes your adrenaline rush and sends shivers down your spine. It sends off electricity that gets you nerving and keeps your eyes peel on the big screen. You'll be excited to know more of what's gonna happen next.

How shocked was I when I saw how brilliantly they worked on the technical aspect. The cinematography and lighting are top-notch, I was in awe with the unique inclined camera angles, the blue-green eerie atmosphere and the precision that it takes to construct such creativity to make it sing with the territory of this being a horror film.

My hat tips off for the excellent use of sound effect because this is probably the first Malay movie I solemnly think that is qualified to compete its sound mixing and editing with Hollywood. Plus, the music is paralleled to how the scenes are emotionally portrayed, means that if a scene ought to make you terrified, then the music builds up to its terror.

Syamsul Yusof and Maya Karin have the spotlight for Munafik 2. Syamsul's acting is getting better and better each time, he now knows how to make those nuances of expressions on his face and he plays Ustaz Adam in a very believable way. Maya Karin was in hiatus for a long time in the filmmaking industry, she plays as Sakinah, a woman in distress of having to defend herself and her family from the hypocrite Abu Jar played by Nasir Bilal Khan, as he and his followers is trying to manipulate into seducing her to commit apostasy with his misguided religious teachings. She is good in playing the role except sometimes, I expected her to be better because she could be but she's a bit lacking this time unlike her acting in Pontianak: Harum Sundal Malam. The others also contributed great performances.

Believe it or not, I shed tears as the movie comes to a closed credit, it is so hard these days to find a horror film with true powerful good meanings being thrown at us all the time. I love the core values this movie has given us especially when I was sensing the plot is taken bits by bits from Islam's Prophets' ideal stories. Albeit the climax is quite similar to the first, but the message is sublime and the last minute wraps it as a perfect ending.

The negative thing is that there are a few of unintentionally funny moments emerge throughout as the messages do get transmitted to the audience smoothly like a bullseye however, a slight awkwardness comes along because they go over-the-top at achieving something new but bizarre attempts.

Furthermore, a lot of twists and turns happen which most of them are unexpected and great, but there is one particular twist that I totally did not see it coming which should be good in general but I hated it because of lack of rational explanations and of the same reason, the excessive and exaggerated degree of the twist itself.

Verdict: It's a rollercoaster ride from the starting point 'till the finishing line. This is the true definition of a horror movie and a rare one in a good way as it flood with a full spectrum of emotions. Simply crowns as the best Malay and horror movie of 2018 and possibly my top 10 movie this year!

92/100

A HUGE step from the first film, coupled with great cinematography, perfomances and scares, Munafik 2 is a must-watch for southeast-asian horror movies.

A story about a cult terrorizing the other side of a village led by Abuja (Nasir Bilal Khan) which gets Ustaz Adam (Syamsul Yusof) concerned about Sakinah (Maya Karin) and her father's safety. The movie opens up as a continuation from the last. Although, i do wish that they would incorporate much more of the first movie's plot into this one. Nonetheless this makes a terrifying adventure.

The performances and character build is so good that a lot of people in the theatre worry about the safety of our characters. I can't spoil much (since i want this to be spoiler free), but i'll have to say Syamsul Yusof is a genius filmmaker tackling issues in this film such as cults and extreme teachings as well as being patient and moderate during God's tests. I'd also like to mention that the scares really git me. This time it wasn't cheap false scares but genuinely scary jumpscares and tension/ suspense that comes after. The camerawork makes it really hard at times to predict the scare until the film has hinted the full thing. A lot of demons aren't just black-contact-lens-wearing-makeup-filled actors with voice changers in the audio, but legitimate beings that might haunt your dreams if you catch a glimpse fot too long. Also, the dramatic scenes might leave a tear in some viewers seeing how far our protagonists are holding on to their faith during the most stressful times (and scenes) throughout the movie

The ending of the movie might be a let-down for most, but it's actually quite the happy ending. By the end, the message sent is that Allah will test his believers, and that we should be patient and considerate as well as be appreciative of the good we have left before and during calamity strikes.

Over all it was a 9/10 experience with some minor flaws and plotholes that are somewhat answered subliminally. I'd say people overseas should give this movie a chance.

So I had high hopes from watching the trailer, sure it has a lot of jumpy moments, but what spoilt the damn film was the fact that from start to finish the damn kid cries throughout the film (annoying) so if you like the sound of a crying kid throughout a movie be my guest... The tyrant/villain is damn annoying too, the movie is Super 'backwards'!

This movie gets 1 for effort. Too black and white characters, over the top villains, overexaggerated and tangled plots, illogical decisions and choices from the characters, overuse and over reliance on jumpscares, and convenient plot twists and deus ex machina that don't even have any sort of payoff at the end of the film.

I can't even fathom as to why anyone would say this is a good movie. I seriously don't because for me, this is easily the worst Syamsul Yusuf film to date that I have ever seen. Yes, even worse than KL Drift.

I kinda like first munafik but not munafik 2, it more about religion debate, become more comedy than horror, the story is so poor. maybe to much on praying and preaching, the preaching eat most of the portion of the story line a lot of jump scare but not scary. 3 stars is best I can give