Satan's Slaves

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.

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.

This is my first Indonesian horror film n what an awesome horror film it turned out to b. After reading that it is a slow burner my excitement dropped but once I played the dvd, from the settings I cud smell that it's gonna b creepy. A big ol house situated next to the cemetary in the rural Jakarta is sufficiently eerie. The performances, from the star cast, especially the small kid n the elder sis are grounded and very convincing. The director's approach to the suspense and horror is slow-building but very very creepy. He shud b given a chance to direct a part of the franchise from the Insidious, Conjuring, Annabelle series. The story is very intriguing. The stark imagery and demonic cutaways were implemented to marvelous effect. Indeed a very scary, spine-tingling n dreadful film. The interior lighting and shading at the house to some of the daytime n nighttime cemetary exteriors provided some beautiful photography. The old house with the many rooms, a water well inside its premise n an olden era bathroom all added an eerie feel. The demons with their umbrella's in the cemetary was top notch scary stuff. Some solid jump scares as well as some other stylish cuts help create a sense of terror. The film is full of non cliches jump scares which r creepy n terrifying. There is one very violent n detailed gruesome scene which i don't wanna spoil.

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!

The family of Rini (Tara Basro) is financially broken and she lives with her father (Bront Palarae), her mother (Ayu Laksmi) that is ill, her grandmother (Elly D. Luthan) that is crippled, and her brothers Tony (Endy Arfian), Bondi (Nasar Annuz) and the mute six year-old Ian (M. Adhiyat) in an old house in the countryside nearby a cemetery. Her mother, who was a successful singer, is dying from a mysterious disease and her father does not have money to support the family. When her mother dies, her father needs to travel to the city to sell the house and weird things happen in the house. The skeptical Rini befriends Hendra (Dimas Aditya), son of the religious Ustadz (Arswendi Nasution), and they learn that her mother was infertile and joined a cult that worships Satan to have children. And now, when Ian will be seven, they will take the boy with them. What can they do to protect Ian?

"Pengabdi Setan", a.k.a. "Satan´s Slaves", is a scary and creepy Indonesian-South Korean horror film. The storyline of a cult of infertile women that worships Satan slightly recalls "Rosemary´s Baby" and has flaws, but the movie makes the viewer startle in many scenes. The acting is also reasonable and does not disappoint. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available