Wanita Ahli Neraka

Despite the fact of never having heard about this 2024 Indonesian horror movie titled "Wanita Ahli Neraka", of course I had to watch it, as I happened to stumble upon it by random luck here in 2025. Given my love of all things horror and Asian cinema, then it was a sure fact that I had to check it out.

Writer Lele Laila put together a script and storyline that was watchable, but it was at the same time also a rather bland and generic script and storyline. Sure, if you are a newcomer to Indonesian horror cinema, then you will get a bigger kick out of watching this movie than I did as a seasoned veteran

The acting performances in the movie were fair. And something that spoke in favor of "Wanita Ahli Neraka" was the fact that I wasn't familiar with a single actor or actress on the cast list. Yeah, I do enjoy watching new and unfamiliar talents on the screen.

Visually then the movie was okay. Nothing outstanding or memorable, but it was adequate enough for the sparse special effects that were in use.

Hardly a movie that warrants more than a single viewing. And it is not really a movie that I would recommend horror fans to rush out and get to watch.

My rating of director Farishad I. Latjuba's 2024 movie "Wanita Ahli Neraka" lands on a generous four out of ten stars.

Desperate to get married, a woman convinces her sister to arrange a relationship with a man in a neighboring village looking to become a political leader in a turbulent environment, and shortly after marrying, finds herself subjected to a deadly curse that threatens her soul.

This was a rather difficult one to get a hold of, but it still manages some enjoyable aspects. When this one works well is due to the stellar atmosphere built up through the combination of storytelling and suspenseful supernatural actions. As we get a strong introduction to her character at the beginning with the conservative mindset she shares following her faith and how it gets rattled following the the marriage which introduces her to a different side of things following how everyone treats her ideas and concepts after the marriage, there's a lot of fun to be had in how these ideals clash. Wanting to expand education and voting rights for women while being stuck in a village that relies more on obedience and servitude creates a dramatic touch that comes across to how openly she's affected by the radio propaganda, her husband's comments about the campaign struggles, or the interactions with the neighbors is a fine way to go about creating a drama around her discomfort in the village. With that established, the series of supernatural activity here is quite fun and enhances the storyline quite well. With the clashing in tone and atmosphere making her already ill at ease around the village and strengthening her religious faith, the type of attacks showing the various pocong spirits appearing suddenly out of nowhere or whispering fervently in her ear to freak her out makes for a highly effective time here. As it moves to situations including spirits attacking others around her, including other members of her friend circle, who grow concerned over the change in behavior the attacks have instilled in her, there's a dramatic increase in these sequences that start to paint a picture involving why she's being targeted in the way she is. The full revelation of everything comes about even better with the black magic rituals and various hints that something is being done to her coming to the forefront and resulting in a frantic finale where it gets revealed in graphic fashion with what the whole purpose of everything really was, giving this one a lot to like about it. There are some minor drawbacks to be had with this one. Among the better drawbacks is the immensely convoluted and twisting storyline that makes it really difficult to find the purpose of anything scary. The main part of the religion focused on how obedient she is and imposing its beliefs to trick her into going to a better afterlife works incredibly well, but the purpose of the demonic sacrifices, which corrupt everything, leaves a lot to be desired. With the point of the plan being to overturn his fate in the local elections to win the favor of the locals, everything just comes across as weak and lame, as the involvement of black magic to that degree to accomplish that goal is severely lackluster, having no means of connecting itself as a venture worthy of this investment. It comes off even worse when the involvement makes the scares and general atmosphere here somewhat difficult to discern from a lot of other similar genre efforts, which leaves this one pretty underwhelming. Alongside the weak CIG at times for the ghosts, these all manage to bring the film down overall.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Language.

Now I understand why online reviews are filled with rage. Watch this movie to test your patience and feel anger slowly consume you. The performances of the lead actors are surprisingly good-among the best from Indonesian actors today. Their portrayal of confusion, fear, mockery, and madness is genuinely compelling.

The title of the movie is provocative, and, to be honest, you can predict the story's direction within the first few minutes. By the end, it feels like the title is nothing more than a cheap clickbait. However, I won't be giving this movie a high rating because I believe it could have been so much better. The writer, producer, and director are capable of more than just reinterpreting and reimagining a horror story that hinges on a Quranic verse as its catchphrase.