Pengabdi Setan

THIS was a breakthrough for Indonesian horror? In that case they have a looooong way to go in terms of storytelling.

You've seen everything on display here. Without giving up any spoilers, suffice it to say, most of these scenes can be seen in "The Exorcist," "The Omen," "Zombie," and countless other horror films. In fact, "Satan's Slaves" is so derivative that it simply seems like an Indonesian version of countless other South Korean horror films.

The film had a slow build with a few jump scares, but the ending was a let down. Anyway, it is what it is. I suppose that coming from Indonesia, a religious country rife with censorship laws, "Satan's Slaves" would probably have been a breakthrough in that sense. Otherwise, meh. Nothing to see here, folks.

Indonesian cult filmmaker Joko Anwar's fourth directorial feature is a myriad of horror elements delightfully wrapped up in a neat little package, sure to please the occult horror audience. Rini (Tara Basro) is a young woman living with her father and terminally ill mother in the removed suburbs of Jakarta, along with her three younger brothers. Due to Mother's (Ayu Laksmi) lengthy treatment, the family has fallen on hard times, with much of the burden falling on Rini and Father (Bront Palarae). Upon the death of Mother, strange occurrences and apparitions appear in the family home, prompting a film noir style investigation into the family's history with the occult.

If this sounds like Ari Aster's recent effort "Hereditary" (2018), that's because it really is a similar movie. It also blends in a healthy dose of atmospheric suspense, brought to life by cinematographer Ical Tanjung, who expertly knows his way around lighting. To that end, "Satan's Slaves" will be very much enjoyed by those who liked "The Conjuring" (2013) and "The Woman in Black" (2011); the theme of a gothic-style maternal figure coming back to haunt the living is the film's principle set-up, and much of the film's true terror comes from the grotesque depiction of Mother's spirit. In addition, mysterious cult-like home invaders made me think of "You're Next" (2011) and -- far more obviously -- "The Void" (2016).

Despite the high production value of "Satan's Slaves," Anwar's direction falls short, never quite hitting the mark of enough originality to warrant close attention. The premise of the film is by no standards original, and much has been borrowed without giving the audience something fresh. I found the film to often trip up over its own influences and drag along often, with many scenes of dialogue losing the suspense momentum that the rest of the film steadily builds up. In addition, despite the overall strong acting from the entire cast, scenes where Rini and her brothers expressed fear seemed forced and awkward. Palarae's excellent performance as the protective father never disappoints, and is perhaps the strongest actor in the film.

While the film's North American distribution status remains to be seen, if it does make its way stateside, I'd recommend seeking it out for fans of the type of horror shown in the films mentioned in this review. It's far from an original effort, but it's made well, and there are a few scenes that will certainly cause your head to turn away from the screen.

*Screened at Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival 2018.

Started with mysterious illness of mother, 4 kids and the husband try the best to cure their mother and Wife. And, SUddenly the mother died and buried in Islam way. And the Terror Begins...

I think this is the best Horror ever made in Indonesia. Well Cinematograph, Well act, well the portion scene of each character, well Make up (Joko Anwar didn't do CGI Neither Green Screen), and Well Scoring. I Like the way Joko Scaring us by using The Ghost of Mother telling something to Toni in his bedroom. THATS THE BEST SCAREJUMP

And Rini, as the leader of the family since their father had to go to find Money to city (This family is going to the well of poor), had to struggle to protect her brothers from her mother.

Ian and Bondy is the most entertaining character in entire story. Their dialog gained sympathy from audience. Well Played

after all, this is the best horror movie, with twist ending and mind-blowing. BEWARE OF IBU

This is simply one of the best horror movies i ever seen. The colours, the story, the atmosphere, and the cinematography just engaging. This film is not about a jumpscare scene but more than that. Every chilling scene build with a gorgeous tone of colours. This is classic and do yourself a favour to watch it. Worth every penny and i think i should watch it again for the 2nd time. For Joko Anwar you have done a great job! Love it!

This remake horror movie is fantastic. I like this kind of horror. Very spooky atmosphere. Good job to director. Jump scare everywhere. Good acting and storyline. Recommended. Well done looking for next sequel.