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.
