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Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, has seen several demonstrations this week against lawmakers, with protests now escalating across the country after the death of a ride-sharing driver who was hit by a police vehicle on Thursday night.

Indonesia’s top filmmakers, producers and actors have expressed their anger over the rider’s death and wider injustice on social media, as protests engulf several Indonesian cities, including Jakarta and Surabaya.

Tear gas and water cannons are also being fired at crowds, according to local reports.

“I want the world to know the situation in Indonesia, how corrupt the system is, and how doomed the people are,” said actor Omara N. Esteghlal, who starred in Joko Anwar’s The Siege At Thorn High, on his social media. “Our house of representatives (Dpr) are not only insensitive, they are disgustingly corrupt. Their wages keep on increasing using taxpayers’ money, and what do the people get in return?...

Released in April 2025, the Indonesian dystopian action thriller, The Siege at Thorn High, directed by Joko Anwar, is already taking over Prime Video. Currently holding the 10th spot on the platform, as per FlixPatrol, the film has become one of the most talked-about international releases of the year.

Known for blending haunting social commentary with gripping genre storytelling, Anwar sets his latest story during the 1998 Jakarta riots, a period infamous for its brutal violence against Chinese Indonesians. At the center of the chaos is Edwin, a grieving man who lost his sister, Silvi, and is now desperately searching for her missing son.

His journey leads him to Thorn High, a notorious school overflowing with anger,...

Netflix invested $200m in Thai content from 2021-2024, making significant contributions to the local creative economy, tourism and global recognition, according to its first impact report in the country.

The streaming giant created more than 20 original Thai shows and films, and employed more than 13,500 local cast and crew during the period, generating more than 750 million viewing hours on Netflix. In addition, more than 15 Thai originals have made it to Netflix’s global top 10 non-English list, including Mad Unicorn, Master Of The House and Hunger.

The impact report was unveiled at a media event in Bangkok today (August 20) where government officials,...

Netflix invested $200m in Thai content from 2021-2024, making significant contributions to the local creative economy, tourism and global recognition, according to its first impact report in the country.

The streaming giant created more than 20 original Thai shows and films, and employed more than 13,500 local cast and crew during the period, generating more than 750 million viewing hours on Netflix. In addition, more than 15 Thai originals have made it to Netflix’s global top 10 non-English list, including Mad Unicorn, Master Of The House and Hunger.

The impact report was unveiled at a media event in Bangkok today (August 20) where government officials,...

Barunson E&a, the South Korean studio best known for producing Parasite, is to exclusively handle worldwide sales for Come And See Pictures, the Indonesian production company co-founded by horror auteur Joko Anwar.

The partnership will begin with Ghost In The Cell, an upcoming supernatural thriller written and directed by Anwar, which will be introduced to international buyers in Toronto and at the Asian Contents & Film Market (Acfm) in Busan next month.

The film is set in a notorious prison where a mysterious, unseen force begins to slaughter inmates. It sees rival gangs and crooked guards forced to unite to survive.

Korea’s Barunson E&a has announced an exclusive two-year partnership with Come And See Pictures, the production company founded in 2020 by visionary Indonesian filmmaker Joko Anwar and his longtime producing partner, Tia Hasibuan.

Under the agreement, Barunson E&a will handle worldwide sales for all films produced by Come And See Pictures.

The partnership is kicking off with Ghost In The Cell. Written and directed by Anwar, the film is set in a notorious prison where a mysterious, unseen force begins to slaughter inmates, forcing rival gangs and crooked guards to unite in an attempt to survive the terrifying and bloody chaos.

Barunson E&a will officially launch international sales for on the film at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival and the Asian Contents & Film Market in Busan.

The deal also covers sMothered (Legenda Kelam Malin Kundang), which Anwar is producing through Come And See Pictures, but not directing.

Joko Anwar’s The Siege at Thorn High imagines a Jakarta just a few years from now, in 2027, but the air is thick with old hatred. This is a city haunted by the ghosts of past racial riots, a place where societal wounds have been left to fester. We enter this world through Edwin, a man who takes a job as a substitute teacher at a notorious high school.

Thorn High itself is less an educational institution and more a high-security holding pen for the city’s most troubled youth. Edwin walks these oppressive halls with a quiet, personal mission driving him. Before he can find what he is looking for, the city’s simmering tensions boil over. A new wave of ethnic violence erupts, the school goes into lockdown, and the simmering conflicts inside its walls are trapped with nowhere to go.

The Slow-Burning Fuse

The film dedicates its first half to a deliberate,...

Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Mephistopheles, the Devil – whatever you call him, there are few recurring representations of evil as powerful or as fear-inducing as the ruler of hell in horror.

The Devil has been a fixture for as long as cinema has existed, offering no shortage of depictions in the genre to induce fights or deliver cautionary tales.

This week’s streaming picks highlight some of the best Devils in horror, from a fork-tongued, cloven-hooved beast to Faustian businessmen masking their inhuman side.

Here’s where you can watch them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

Angel Heart – Hoopla, Kanopy

This twisted psychological horror noir follows Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke), a private investigator whom Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro) hires to track down missing musician Johnny Favorite. Harry’s search leads him to New Orleans, where he finds voodoo, murder, love, and a deal with the devil.

Over the weekend, I flew roughly 5,500 miles roundtrip to get a new tattoo. A cross-country journey that started in Los Angeles and granted me 20-ish hours in New York City. That sounds looney tunes, right? In most contexts, I'd agree with you—but this was a landmark weekend. On Friday the 13th of June, 2025, horror watchers, creators, and other industry folks gathered at Wild Heart Tattoo Shop in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, to celebrate Shudder's 10th birthday.

Senior Vice President of Programming and Acquisitions Sam Zimmerman explains why AMC's nightmare factory chose to honor a decade of streaming screams with ink and artistry:

"Something we cherish about Shudder is how much of it is driven by the taste and passion of the team. That taste extends beyond our films, to the way we [and our guest curators] present ourselves, and well, many of us are tattooed. We also knew the folks at Wild Heart were horror and Shudder fans,...

Exclusive: Barunson E&a, the South Korean studio known for Parasite, is expanding its lineup of titles from Indonesia with upcoming horror The Book Of Sijjin And Illiyyin.

International sales will be launched at the Cannes market on the film directed by Hadrah Daeng Ratu (The Corpse Washer) and is scripted by Lele Laila, writer of Kkn Di Desa Penari, Indonesia’s highest-ever grossing film.

The story follows Yuli, a woman who witnessed her parents die at the hands of a mysterious force as a child after her mother became possessed. Branded a cursed child, she grew up under the roof...

Indonesian horror maestro Joko Anwar has confirmed that his Netflix supernatural anthology series “Nightmares and Daydreams” has been officially renewed for Season 2 after strong viewership and critical acclaim.

Why Was It Renewed? Global Top 10 – The series trended in 15 countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the US. Netflix’s Push for Indonesian Content – Following hits like “Gadis Kretek” and “The Big 4”, Netflix is doubling down on Indonesian genre storytelling. Check the interview with the cast and crew of the first season What to Expect in Season 2? More Indonesian Folklore – Joko Anwar teased “deeper dives into Betawi and Sumatran myths.” Bigger Budget – Netflix is investing in higher VFX and international collaborations. Possible Returning Characters? – Anwar hinted at “hidden connections” between S1 and S2 stories. Filming Timeline – Expected to shoot late 2024, targeting a 2025 release. Joko Anwar’s Next Projects Feature Film – “The Forbidden Stairs” (Gothic horror, 2025). Hollywood Talks – Rumored to be developing a US remake of Impetigore.

Indonesia is booming with local content, international co-productions and a vibrant box office, although overseas distribution and the absence of film incentives remain weaknesses, said film professionals currently working in Indonesia, on a panel at Hong Kong’s Filmart.

Indonesia’s culture minister, Fadli Zon, was also present at the panel, alongside a delegation from the Indonesian consulate in Hong Kong.

Justin Kim, head of international production at Cj Enm, has been steadily growing the Korean entertainment powerhouse‘s footprint in Indonesia since 2014.

Kim said that Cj Enm’s foray into the Indonesian film industry started out with the conglomerate giving out a few awards at Busan’s Asian Project Market in 2014, including for a “most anticipated” project, which was given to Joko Anwar’s A Copy of My Mind.

At that time, Kim was an international sales manager and Cj Enm ended up representing the film. Anwar’s feature travelled to the Venice,...

South Korea’s Barunson E&a has secured sales rights to The World Of Love, the next project of acclaimed Korean filmmaker Yoon Ga-eun, and is beginning talks with buyers at the EFM.

It marks the third feature by Yoon after debut The World Of Us, which premiered at the Berlinale in 2016, and The House Of Us, which screened at the BFI London Film Festival in 2019.

Her latest will focus on an enigmatic 17-year-old student named Jooin who is a cheerful friend, a shameless daughter, a mischievous girlfriend, and always hard to predict. More than anything, she is curious about and baffled by love.

"Isn't it dangerous to teach there?"...

South Korea’s Barunson E&a has boarded sales of fantasy animated feature Gill and will launch the title to international buyers at the European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin next week.

Directed by acclaimed animation filmmaker Ahn Jae-huun, the feature premiered in the Contrechamp competition of Annecy International Animation Film Festival last year.

The story centres on a young man and his grandfather who rescue a mysterious boy with gills and shimmering scales at the side of a river. Named Gon, he is welcomed into their family but is forced to leave after an unexpected accident exposes his secret.

It...

It starts with a knock on the cabin door, and from there, Ritual drags viewers into a twisted game of cat and mouse. The Indonesian psychological thriller, also known as Modus Anomali, doesn’t just toy with the protagonist—it doesn’t hesitate to go after the audience too. Directed by Joko Anwar, the film’s premise presents itself as your run-of-the-mill survival story. However, down the line, it unravels into a disturbing exploration of paranoia and the darker corners of the human psyche. The film itself hones in on a mysterious man who wakes up in the middle of the woods completely clueless as to how he got there. The only pieces of information he has to go on are that his family is missing and that some anonymous and highly motivated figure is hunting him. As the plot progresses, he manages to piece together clues; however, the film...

Even if the quality of the series from the US seems to deteriorate with time and the plethora of offerings, Asia, on the other hand, seems to retain and even increase the level of standards regarding drama, with the transition from towards “TV” of Korean talent, and the ever present ‘workaholism’ of the actors in J-dramas leading the way. Add to that the fact that the production values, with the streamers investing more and more, continues to get higher, the opening to Indonesia, which seems the next big market, and the heavy investment by Taiwan, and you have the backbone of what is happening in the drama world at the moment. In that setting, the awards “Shogun” got in this year’s Golden Globes seems like the cherry on top.

Without further ado, here is the list with the best Asian Dramas of 2024, in random order, since we thought that the difference in genres,...

Indonesian cinema admissions increased by 10% to reach 126.22 million in 2024, according to figures from Bicara Box Office, with local films pulling in 80.21 million admissions for a 65% market share.

Last year, Indonesia’s local movies sailed past the all-time annual admissions record in just nine months from January to September, driven by hits such as comedy horror Agak Laen and a host of other horror films and family dramas. The previous record was set in 2022 when local productions, headed by horror Kkn Di Desa Penari, racked up 58.16 million admissions by the end of the year.

Agak Laen, produced by Imajinari Pictures, remains the biggest film of 2024 overall, with 9.13M admissions, followed by horror film Vina: Sebelum 7 Hari (5.82M admissions), comedy horror Kang Mak (4.86M), family drama Ipar Adalah Maut (4.78M), Kkn prequel Dancing Village: The Curse Begins (4.02M), Joko Anwar horror Grave Torture (4M) and family drama Bila Esok Ibu Tiada...

2024 was a crowded year for television that had its share of misfires, but among the droves of disposable content was some stellar horror programming – from “Evil” to “The Creep Tapes” – that celebrates the genre’s versatility.

Television has reached a curious inflection point where what was once heralded as the medium’s Golden Age has turned into a daunting obligation where there’s far too much content to consume and the lengthy gaps between short seasons is enough to strip away even the most extreme enthusiasm. TV is in an interesting phase at the moment and while many prestige streaming series have struggled, the horror genre has thrived and turned out deeply captivating and creepy material. Television remains a safe haven for the horror genre and 2024 was a strong year for both brand new horror and returning series that are sure to entertain genre fans who are looking for something...

The youngest Indonesian director to have won the Citra Award for Best Picture at the Indonesian Film Festival in 2014, Angga Dwimas Sasongko, finds immense optimism seeing the rapid growth of Indonesian cinema in a year that has seen it claim a significant market share locally.

“It’s about time,” he told Variety, seeing the enthusiasm at the ongoing Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival and the inaugural Jaff Market.

“We have a strong market here in Southeast Asia. Indonesia is fortunate enough to not just recover [from the pandemic downturn], but find its community [as an artform],” Sasongko, co-founder of content powerhouse Visinema Pictures, said.

The award winning director has championed Indonesian cinema along with his wife, Anggia Kharisma through their production studio for years. “In the last five years, the quality of Indonesian films have grown so much,” Sasongko said.

“This has to do with accessibility too. Cinemas have expanded to many more cities now, gaining a new...

When was the last time you couldnt believe they just did that for an on-screen death in a horror movie or series? In the same year that had audiences gasping over that gnarly yoga kill from In a Violent Nature and moviegoers trying not to vomit in theaters while watching Terrifier 3, heres a new one. Indonesian filmmaker Joko Anwar, who has made a name for himself in his home country and abroad with dark and shocking films, adds to 2024s craziest deaths in horror with his most recent film, Grave Torture. The setup is simple in turning a washing machine into something to fear, and then the scene's execution (pun intended) goes in a direction that not even the most seasoned horror fan could expect.

Following a 2023 that definitely belonged to Malaysia, with titles like “Tiger Stripes“, “Abang Adik”, “La Luna” and a number of others, it seems that 2024 belongs to another Asean country, Indonesia. For us that we have been following local cinema for some years, this does not come as a surprise, since the stories were already there and it seemed that the industry just needed some nurturing in order to fully bloom. Following investment by Cj, it was when streamers and particularly Netflix started investing in local content, that the leap that was bound to happen finally became reality. Headed by Joko Anwar, Kamila Andini, Kimo Stamboel, Timo Tjahjanto and a number of others, local cinema seems to be in good hands, as the movies in the following list eloquently highlight. At the same time, the same can be said about the actors, with names like Laura Basuki, Shenina Cinnamon, Yusuf Mahardika,...

As we have mentioned before, one of the most appealing ‘innovations’ the horror genre has seen during the last decades is its connection with intense sociopolitical commentary. Joko Anwar, in a film that was inspired by his own homonymous short of 2012 (an omnibus where Noboru Iguchi and Erik Matti are also mentioned as directors), achieves just that, to the highest degree. Let us take things from the beginning though.

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Sita and Adil are two adolescent siblings who live and work with their parents, who operate a family bakery. Although they face intense competition from the Western franchises that have landed in Indonesia, the family continues to make a living and are in general quite happy. One day though, both of the parents are killed in a suicide bombing, with the assailant being driven to his deed by the concept of grave torture,...

Indonesian director Joko Anwar’s The Siege at Thorn High has wrapped production and is slated for a theatrical release in Indonesia in 2025.

The film is produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Anwar’s Come and See Pictures, and was first announced as a Prime Video title in 2022 as part of the streamer’s Southeast Asian originals slate. Prime Video has since reeled back spending in Southeast Asia and laid off the region’s originals production team.

Set in the tumultuous near-future of Indonesia in 2027, The Siege at Thorn High follows Edwin, a young substitute teacher at a school for juvenile delinquents, whose own inner demons complicate his battle for survival once the school turns into a battleground.

Morgan Oey, Omara Esteghlal and Hana Malasan lead the cast of The Siege at Thorn High. Fatih Unru, Satine Zaneta, Dewa Dayana, Florian Rutters, Faris Fadjar Munggaran, Sandy Pradana and Farandika round off the film’s ensemble.

Southeast Asia content makers have had it tough in recent times. Not only was the streamer money that briefly flooded the region reduced as global cuts bit, but they’ve seen demand for Japanese and Korean content reach new heights, while the rise of streaming in India has become a major narrative across the continent. Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video have all committed large funding pots to Asia, but the question is, how much can Southeast Asia specifically score?

Those we have spoken to in the likes of Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia talk of the difficult economic climate and belt-tightening over production budgets. Streaming originals have been ditched and free-to-air networks are seeing TV advertising spend move to social media.

Mark Francis, Chief Content and Strategy Officer at Indonesia’s largest streamer, Vidio, says multiple global streaming services spending big on productions was unlikely to last. “As it turns out,...

Indonesian movies have sailed past the all-time annual admissions record in just nine months from January to September 2024, with new releases pulling in 61.25 million ticket sales, according to data from local box office analyst Bicara Box Office.

The previous record was set in 2022 when local productions racked up 58.16 million admissions by the end of the year. Calendar year total admissions for all films, including local and foreign, had reached 95.56 million by the end of September. Local productions currently have around a 66% market share.

Imajinari’s horror comedy Agak Laen remains the biggest film of the year, drawing 9.1 million admissions, followed by horror thriller Vina: Sebelum 7 Hari with 5.8 million admissions and Falcon Pictures’ Kang Mak, a remake of Thai horror comedy blockbuster Pee Mak, with 4.9 million.

Kang Mak

The next three films in the 2024 top ten are also local productions – infidelity drama Ipar Adalah Maut (4.8 million) and horror prequel Dancing Village: The Curse Begins...

Korean production and sales powerhouse Barunson E&a is investing in and taking on international sales for upcoming Indonesian horror Sorop, produced by MD Pictures, and will launch the film in Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market (Acfm) next week.

The film is written and directed by veteran Indonesian filmmaker Upi, known for her work on superhero action film Sri Asih, co-written and produced by Joko Anwar, as well as popular romcom franchise My Stupid Boss. It was co-written with SimpleMan, one of the leading creators on Indonesian Twitter, based on a viral horror thread.

The story revolves around siblings Hanif and Isti as they return to their hometown due to their uncle’s illness. After his death, their grief is disrupted by eerie events, including their uncle’s reappearance.

MD Pictures previously produced Indonesia’s highest-grossing film ever, Kkn Curse Of The Dancing Village, which was also based on a viral Twitter thread by SimpleMan.

South Korea’s Barunson E&a has boarded international sales of upcoming Indonesian horror Sorop, which it will launch at the Asian Contents & Film Market (Acfm) in Busan.

The feature is directed and co-written by Upi, the Indonesian filmmaker behind 2022 superhero title Sri Asih, which was co-written and producer by Joko Anwar and screened at International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR).

Sorop has been co-written by SimpleMan, a social media creator renowned for writing numerous viral horror threads who has more than one million followers on X, formerly Twitter. The story first appeared on the platform in 2020.

The film follows siblings Hanif...

Grave Torture is a brand-new Indonesian Netflix Original that is a psychological horror film that explores the themes of death, sin, the afterlife, radicalism, mental health, and abuse. All of these aspects are found in the stories of the characters of the film, which is extensively covered by the writer and director Joko Anwar.

Sita

Faradina Mufti and Widuri Puteri, both actors, portray the roles of older and younger Sita, respectively, in Grave Torture. Sita was the one who was most deeply affected by the death of her parents, as she witnessed them being killed by a suicide bomber. The young girl is disturbed to learn of grave torture, the reason behind the suicide bomber’s radicalization. Sita never processed the pain of losing her parents, and quickly jumped into debunking grave torture theories. As she refuses to get radicalized in the Islamic boarding school, she finds a way out...

Horror movies are another ball game altogether. Either you will like them or you will simply hate them. There is no middle ground when it comes to liking horror movies and other related subgenres. Personally speaking, the last horror movie I genuinely was blown away by was Jordan Peele’s Get Out. Grave Torture is an Indonesian Netflix original that was released on the platform on 16th September 2024.

Directed and written by Joko Anwar, Grave Torture begins with a tragedy when Adil and Sita are witnesses to their parents being killed when a suicide bomber blows himself up just outside their bakery. Post this, life is not simple for the siblings, as their stint with an Islamic boarding school does not end well. Sita and Adil had to escape the school after facing traumatic experiences, which is later explained in the film. Grave Torture moves on to the lives of...

When it comes to Indonesian horror, Joko Anwar’s name always comes up. He is clearly dominating the horror genre space at the moment with one release after another. His 2024 film, Grave Torture (originally titled Siksa Kubur), is intriguing enough to keep you hooked but also disjointed enough to leave you disappointed. The idea that the film ultimately arrives at contradicts the problem that Grave Torture addresses in the very beginning. Grave Torture’s ending will leave you confused, not just about the narrative but also the moral lesson that the film wants to impart. Before discussing the ending in detail, let’s revisit the important events that unfold in the film.

Spoiler Alert

How was Mr. Wahyu Sutama connected to Sita and Adil’s past?

Siblings Sita and Adil lost their parents to a bomb blast. A quiet day at their family-owned bakery turned chaotic and devastating when the...

Netflix has a tendency to release international horror films with no fanfare and often without even a trailer to promote them, but have no fear because we’re always paying attention.

On that note, the latest movie from Indonesian master of horror Joko Anwar, Grave Torture is now streaming on Netflix!

In Joko Anwar’s Grave Torture, “When a violent act kills her parents, Sita vows to debunk the idea of supernatural torment after death — a fixation that leads her on a dark quest.”

Here’s the full plot synopsis from the film’s Wikipedia page: “After both of her parents became victims of suicide bombings, Sita became distrustful of religion. Since then, Sita’s goal in life has been only one: to find the most sinful person and when that person dies, Sita wants to go into his grave to prove that the torment of the grave does not...

Indonesia’s Base Entertainment has added Ho Wi Ding’s family drama Mothernet to its slate, an Indonesia-Singapore co-production that brings together top talents from the Southeast Asian region.

The feature, now in production, is also backed by Indonesia’s Beacon Film, Singapore-based Refinery Media and Hong Kong’s Jem Productions. The cast is headed by celebrated Indonesian actors Dian Sastrowardoyo of hit Netflix series Cigarette Girl, who is also producing through Beacon Film, Ringgo Agus Rahman (Falling In Love Like In Movies) and rising star Ali Fikri (24 Hours with Gaspar).

Set in the near future, the story follows...

Production is under way on “Mothernet,” a drama film that examines the growing relationship between humans and technology. Ho Wi Ding, whose “Pinoy Sunday” and “Cities of Last Things” won multiple prizes, is in the director’s chair.

Set in Indonesia’s near future, “Mothernet” is a poignant family drama centered around 16-year-old Rama who is trying to navigate life after a tragic accident leaves his mother in a coma. With the help of an artificial intelligence (AI) program, Rama and his father embark on a journey of reconnection and healing, according to a supplied synopsis.

Indonesian actors Dian Sastrowardoyo (Netflix series “Cigarette Girl”) and Ringgo Agus Rahman (“Falling in Love Like in Movies”), portray the adult leads. Rising star Ali Fikri (“24 Hours with Gaspar”) plays the youngster.

“Mothernet” is being shot mainly on location in Indonesia, with its virtual scenes to be shot in Singapore, at the X3D Studio...

U.K.-based sales and distribution company Blue Finch Films has acquired worldwide rights to Indonesian horror film “The Draft!” ahead of its international premiere at Austin’s Fantastic Fest.

Directed by Yusron Fuadi, the film follows five college students who spend a weekend at a remote villa, only to find themselves battling a powerful dark force. The project aims to subvert familiar horror tropes in its take on the cabin-in-the-woods subgenre.

Fuadi wrote the script alongside Anindita Suryarasmi, with Richard Hames Halstead and B.W. Purba Negara as co-writers. Munandar Aji and Fani Pramuditya serve as producers.

“‘The Draft!’ is my love letter to horror, sci-fi and fantasy film,” Fuadi said. “Being a love letter, naturally I put all my passion, anger, lust, protest and obsession to this slightly underrated and somewhat overdone genre.”

Mike Chapman of Blue Finch Films called the film “a thoroughly imaginative and original entry to...

Severin Films is taking over Brain Dead Studios in Los Angeles for its annual Super-Shock Pop-Up Film Festival Triple Feature on Saturday, August 24.

Viewers will be treated to a one-night-only screening of three mystery titles that will be released by Severin on 4K Uhd/Blu-ray in the coming year, along with trailer reveals, free swag, and a wide selection of Severin merch.

“Super-Shock is part fan appreciation event, part future-titles reveal, and 100% Severin Films gala celebration,” says Severin president David Gregory. “This year promises to our biggest and best yet.”

Founded in 2006, Severin Films is dedicated to the world’s most provocative cinema for physical media, theatrical, streaming, and beyond. Their catalog includes films from Dario Argento, Lucio Fulci, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Dennis Hopper, Joko Anwar, Alex de la Iglesia, Sergio Martino, Umberto Lenzi, Paul Morrissey, Jess Franco, and many more.

Brain Dead Studios is located at 611 N Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles,...

AMC+ is one of the world's most reliable streaming services, thanks to the vast selection of content it provides on a regular basis. Whether you want a classic horror film that is only selectively available on Shudder or an exciting production from lesser-known platforms like Sundance and IFC, AMC+ has everything.

For a while now, the streaming service has been introducing new films and television series every month, with most titles announced well ahead of time. So, it's that time of the month again when you get curious about what's coming to AMC+, and we provide what you need. Certainly, the streaming service has some exciting movies to offer in the next month. With that in mind, here's a list of every movie coming to AMC+ in August 2024.

Force of Nature: The Dry 2 Streaming August 9

IFC's hit thriller The Dry was riveting in terms of depicting a crime-based mystery plot,...

Nightmares and Daydreams is a solid Indonesian sci-fi anthology series with interconnected episodes. Some episodes are better than others, with "Hypnotized" and "P.O. Box" standing out for their twists and connections. The series explores themes of passion, strange happenings, and the consequences of extreme actions.

While every episode of Joko Anwar's Nightmares and Daydreams is pretty solid, some are better than others. An Indonesian sci-fi anthology series, Nightmares and Daydreams is also one of 2024's best horror TV shows. Across seven distinct-yet-interconnected episodes, writer-director Joko Anwar chronicles the misadventures of a seemingly disparate ensemble of people. Some characters want nothing more than to protect their loved ones, while others go to extreme lengths for money. Whatever their drive, Anwar's characters are passionate and met by incredibly strange happenings that upend their realities.

Related 10 Best Horror Anthology Shows To Watch Like Joko Anwar's Nightmares & Daydreams

Joko Anwar's Nightmares & Daydreams...

Supacell’s ending was predictable. In cliche Netflix fashion, it set the premise and introduced the characters without revealing much about the main antagonist of the series. It had all the bearings of a six-episode clickbait because, to be honest, we have all been waiting for some shocking revelations till the very end. Unfortunately, there was only one, and that too was in the closing shot of the final episode. It was just two weeks ago that I had a similar experience with Joko Anwar’s Netflix original titled Nightmares and Daydreams. Over the course of eight episodes, it introduced a bunch of people with superpowers who would fight against evil in the next installment. It seems like Netflix has come up with a new directive for its creators. I understand that after the Marvel boom, everyone wants to emulate the formula of the superhero genre, but at least have...

The last episode of what seems to be the first season of “Joko Anwar's Nightmares and Daydreams” concludes the story in a way that everything that happened before makes sense, while retaining the very appealing sense of surprise that occurred in the previous segments. Joko Anwar, just like the first episode, “Old House” takes the seat of the director once more in “P.O. Box” closing the circle even in a meta level.

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The story this time revolves around Valdya, one of the best diamond appraisers in all of Jakarta, who is so good that she can even tell the quality of a diamond just with her eyes. Later on, we learn that her older sister, Dara, went missing some time ago, and that Rendy, the guy who used to date her, is now in a serious relationship with Valdya.

The sixth episode of “Joko Anwar's Nightmares and Daydreams” seems like a trip down the memory lane of his cinematic past. The story is written by Tia Hasibuan, who has been producer at “A Copy of My Mind”, “Impetigore” two “Satan's Slaves” while even acting in the second. The protagonist, Fachry Albar, was also in the two aforementioned entries but has also collaborated in Anwar's past futures, as in the case of “Dead Time” and “The Forbidden Door” for example, with the two being among his most frequent collaborators. Apart from these, “Hypnotized” takes another favorite concept of the horror genre, in order to present something rather different.

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The story takes place in 2022 and revolves around Ali, his wife Ningsih, and their children Ayu and Hendra. Ali is color blind and finds it difficult to get jobs as the introductory scene,...

The Shudder streaming service and IFC Films, both of which are owned by AMC Networks, have secured a deal with boutique Blu-ray and DVD label Severin Films to put together eleven special edition physical media releases of some of the most popular Originals and licensed features in the Shudder and IFC Films library, Variety reports.

The announcement even reveals the titles of six of the eleven movies that will be receiving special edition physical media releases thanks to this deal: Joko Anwar’s 2017 horror mystery Satan’s Slaves (which was a remake of a 1980 film); Brandon Cronenberg’s 2012 feature directorial debut, the sci-fi horror film Antiviral; the 2015 Turkish horror film Baskin, directed by Can Evrenol; Franck Khalfoun’s 2012 Pov remake of the 1980 slasher classic Maniac; Douglas Buck’s 2006 remake of the 1972 Brian De Palma thriller Sisters; and André Øvredal’s 2016 horror thriller The Autopsy of Jane Doe.

Sisworo Gautama Putra, Naryono Prayitno,...

Get ready for a slew of new Blu-rays from the Shudder and IFC Films banners courtesy of physical media label Severin Films, with Variety detailing the new pact this morning.

Severin will be releasing “eleven Special Edition physical discs of the most popular Originals and licensed features from horror subscription streamer Shudder and IFC Films.”

The following titles have been announced thus far…

Joko Anwar’s Satan’s Slaves Brandon Cronenberg’s Antiviral Can Evrenol’s Baskin Franck Khalfoun’s Maniac (2012) Douglas Buck’s Sisters (2006) André Øvredal’s The Autopsy of Jane Doe

“The work done at Severin Films is astounding,” said Shudder’s Sam Zimmerman. “They are directly responsible for some of the greatest home video releases ever and seeing a selection of our Shudder and IFC Films gems get the treatment is a delight.”

Stay tuned for more from Shudder, IFC and Severin in the coming months.

‘Maniac...

Fantastic Pavilion, the genre business hub launched at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, announced a slew of deals closed at the venue this year, with L..A-based Severin Films, a boutique Blu-ray and DVD label, inking a pact to release eleven Special Edition physical discs of the most popular Originals and licensed features from horror subscription streamer Shudder and IFC Films.

Initial titles include Joko Anwar’s “Satan’s Slaves”; Brandon Cronenberg’s “Antiviral”; Can Evrenol’s “Baskin”; Franck Khalfoun’s 2012 remake of “Maniac”; Douglas Buck’s 2006 remake of “Sisters” and André Øvredal’s “The Autopsy of Jane Doe.”

The deal was brokered by Severin Film’s co-founder-ceo David Gregory, Shudder’s Vice President of Programming Sam Zimmerman, and AMC Networks Director of Content Sales Lucas Verga.

“The work done at Severin Films is astounding,” said Zimmerman, adding: “They are directly responsible for some of the greatest home video releases ever...

The fourth episode of Joko Anwar's Nightmares and Daydreams moves back towards the style of Asian horror (I should say Asean actually), while in contrast to the previous ones that took present in the present or close past, it transfers us to1985.

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Wahyu is an unlucky guy. He was abandoned by his mother as a child, but he still thinks he can go to Saudi Arabia and live with her, along with his wife, who feels sympathetic towards his wishes, but has her doubts. The two seem to be in love, but as the story begins, Wahyu hears rumors of her flirting with another local from the slum they live in. The locals make a living by picking up sea oysters and he seems to be quite good at it, but he is also frequently bullied by another local,...

The third episode in “Joko Anwar's Nightmares and Daydreams” moves in yet another direction, in a style that reminds intently of Hollywood noir and even pulp on occasion, although the rich social commentary is here once more.

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Rania, a celebrated author whose “Poems and Pains” novel was largely successful, is struggling to come up with an equal one moving forward, but cannot seem to get a break. Her editor and best and only friend Adrian is pushing her to publish a sequel, but she declines, supposedly because she wants to change direction from the exploitative pop aesthetics of the original, but that is not the only reason. Actually, when she was writing that book, she would have blackouts that would find her with bruises in her body and a number of pages being written without her remembering at all.

In less than a decade, Netflix has become a production powerhouse in South East Asia, and that fact was reinforced at a showcase the streamer held in the Indonesian capital Jakarta last week, where it showed off its latest batch of original local films and series.

Through aggressive and consistent investment in producing originals, Netflix has gained a market leading position in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, and these three countries were the focus of the showcase on June 13. Among the slew of announcements, trailers, first-look stills and clips, Netflix unfurled news on not one, but two zombie projects, a period sex comedy, Thai sci-fi, more horror and action from Indonesia, and a serial killer thriller that could find a global audience.

Read on for details on the biggest Sea titles that Netflix showcased.

Kimo Stamboel on the set of ‘Abadi Nan Jaya’

Abadi Nan Jaya (working title) (Indonesia)

Perhaps...

Everyday people get caught up in otherworldly problems in the supernatural series Joko Anwar’s Nightmares and Daydreams. The anthology follows characters who take drastic measures to save money, their families, or themselves — but are instead greeted by unspeakable dangers from other realms. From writer-director Joko Anwar, the series was co-directed by Ray Farandy Pakpahan (Beyond Skyline), Tommy Dewo (Ratu Adil), and Randolph Zaini (Preman). Nightmares and Daydreams stars a massive ensemble cast featuring Ario Bayu, Marissa Anita, and Asmara Abigail.

“This seriesexplores the sci-fi supernatural genre,” Anwar told Netflix. “Inspired by my curiosity and fascination with alien stories, I dug deep into the intriguing concept of aliens that might not be far from us.”

Stream it now.

Check it out at the top of this page.

Each stand-alone but interconnected episode focuses on ordinary people who face mysterious phenomena that endanger them and their loved ones.

Joko Anwar's latest effort, “Nightmares and Daydreams” a 7-episode anthology of the horrific and the supernatural is currently streaming on Netflix. Considering that the episodes are separate entities, we decided to deal with each one in separate reviews, instead of a single one. “Old House”, co-directed by Ray Farandy Pakpahan and Randolph Zaini is the first and longest one.

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The episode begins with Banji, a poor taxi driver, leaving his senile mother into a rather luxurious elderly home, despite the pleas of a caretaker though, not to do so. Through a flashback, we learn that although neither he nor his wife wanted to abandon her there, after a life-threatening incident involving their infant, the decided to do so, also instigated by the fact that an acquaintance of Banji would allow them to let her leave in the particular establishment for free.

Joko Anwar, a driving force behind Indonesia’s modern film industry, is the creator of Netflix’s new anthology series Nightmares and Daydreams. The Satan’s Slaves filmmaker slips in and out of these seven episodes, with his fingers directly on the pulse of a select few. However, even when not personally directing or writing, Anwar’s unique touch can be felt in every inch of the journey. What initially looks to be a chain of unconnected stories turns out to be an odyssey with a specific and often unsettling destination.

Unlike other anthologies, there is no particular character who guides the audience in and out of the sub-stories and clarifies their experience. On the contrary, each tale kicks off with no kind of formal introduction — apart from a surreal opening sequence — thus allowing the series to access that certain sensation of nodding off and slipping into a dream. Everything appears...