Pintu Terlarang

I recently watched the Indonesian film 🇮🇩 The Forbidden Door (2009) on Shudder. The storyline follows a doctor who is drawn to visions of an abused child and something horrible happening to his family. As he delves into determining if his dreams might be reality, he discovers he may only be able to help one-the boy or his family.

This film is directed by Joko Anwar (Impetigore) and stars Ario Bayu (Java Heat), Tio Pakusadewo (The Raid 2), Verdi Solaiman (Shackled), Fachry Albar (Dead Time), and Marsha Timothy (The Raid 2).

This is a long, methodical slow burn, and just as you're wondering why you watched it, there's a perfect conclusion to close the picture. The acting is solid and feels authentic, especially from the child actor. The kid's backstory is sad but very well done. The horror elements are very good, with solid stabbing, throat slashing, and blood splatter sequences. As I previously mentioned, the journey is slow, but the end is rewarding.

In conclusion, The Forbidden Door is a movie you spend the entire time wondering why you watched it, but in the end, you're glad you did. I would score this a 6.5/10 and recommend it to horror genre enthusiasts only.

I cannot stand any movie which shows violence towards kids.

I saw this only cos of its director Joko Anwar but this one is a big disappointment.

There is no tension, no suspense n no atmosphere but just an annoying actor with his annoying hair.

It has some killings but that too towards the end.

Inspite of the movie being a bit dark, there is zero nudity n zero sex scene.

Revisiting John Cusack's Identity is a better option than this.

Big fan of Joko Anwar but now i think he is more of a hit n miss kinda director.

I didn't enjoy The Queen of Black Magic which Anwar didn't direct but he is the writer.

I was generous with his Impetigore which has unnecessary gore n squirmy stuff.

Loved his Gundala.

Enjoyed his Satan's Slaves n found it to be creepy, scary n very atmospheric.

Waiting for Satan's Slaves part 2.

Pintu Terlarang (a.k.a The Forbidden Door) is really, really great and will definitely making you stay in your chair when you watched this greatest movie ever.

Gambir is an artist. He got a beautiful wife, Talyda. Someday, Gambir got some weird message.

Gambir try to find who send that message. And he tell that message to his friends, Dandung and Rio, and they cannot help Gambir.

Gambir still trying hard to find who send that message, when someday he found some strange door in his home. He asked to his wife, Talyda, about that door. Talyda told him to never opened that door.

Gambir finally got an bright way to solved his problem about weird message. There's some secret organization who broadcast some strange video about the kid who tortured by his parents. Gambir trying hard to help this kid, and take him to sadness truth, madness, Talyda's secrets and definitely, that forbidden door.

Once again, Joko Anwar will give you another guilty pleasure when you watch this. Just like Dead Time : Kala (2007), Joko Anwar make this movie so heartbreaking which is making you keep staying in your chair.

The point is, this movie will make you forget the world, and after saw this movie, I promise, that your brain will full with your own idea about the ending, because, baby, the ending is so cool. You can put some point of view about the ending.

Fachri Albar give a bad-ass performance. He is really great. And, Marsha Timothy can act well too. She can act as a wife who is really mysterious with really great.

The art direction is totally awesome. And the music score is really, really make you wanna jumped out from your chair.

Just watch this movie, watch the Christmas dinner scene and you will forget anything! Trust me.

This movie is a perfectly executed thriller combining startling and grisly violence with mystery and a foreboding mood. A young artist finds himself drawn into a world of terror against his will and his life begins to unravel. This is a story of a cruel world and of living under the power of others.

The multi-part climax and ending could be described predictable, surprising, (Yes, both of those) as truly epic, and cryptic. I think I've figured what it was supposed to mean, though even had you left the theatre merely confused, you'll appreciate the craft and you will have been affected by the movie.

The acting and direction is top notch, and I can attest that the movie was foreboding even when interrupted by technical difficulties and projector problems as my theatre endured when the movie was screened. (Appropriately enough given the English title, our projector broke in two parts where the main character opened a door at a tense moment)

I would love to see more work by these people.

Like I say in my title above, this isn't really quite my type of film. I DO though very much like the David Lynch touches and mood which are created very well throughout. Technically, everything is expertly executed, and all the acting is excellent.

If you happen to like the intensity of movies like 'HOSTEL' or others of this nature, this will probably be right up your alley. For me personally, those kinds of films I just don't find entertaining, it's just not my thing. But, as I've stated in many of my reviews, just because I don't happen to find the story fully enjoyable, I can honestly say that for people that do like these kinds of movies, they will likely find it entertaining. It is made very well, AND truthfully, it is extremely effective in what the filmmakers are trying to do. There is absolutely NO doubt about that 😊

So, this is one of those very rare cases where, even though I didn't exactly 'enjoy' all aspects of it, I felt the film was conceived and made really well and most definitely created a very foreboding and disturbing atmosphere. For example, without giving anything away, when the main protagonist is feeling anguish and disgust, you most definitely will feel it too, which means the movie is accomplishing precisely what it is supposed to do. Just for me personally, I found it a tad too dark and disturbing in some areas and it just doesn't quite fit my idea of a 'Fun' movie. But, the film is so effectively made, for those who do like their intensity levels quite high, this will probably be the kind of movie for you.