Suzzanna: Bernapas dalam kubur

Well, this Netflix produced Indonesian movie was something of a mixed stew of genres, with elements of comedy, horror and drama thrown into the melting pot. But it actually worked out well enough, truth be told.

I was familiar with the movie's existence, but haven't gotten around to watching it before 2 years after it was released. There have been so many other movies piled up on the to-watch-list. But finally got around to watching "Suzzanna: Buried Alive" (aka "Suzzanna: Bernapas dalam Kubur") from directors Rocky Soraya and Anggy Umbara.

Turns out that "Suzzanna: Buried Alive" was actually rather enjoyable. Now, I am not overly familiar with Indonesian superstition, so I am not an expert on how their ghost lore is. But hey, the movie was entertaining nonetheless.

The comedy in the movie was good, but not to the point where you are bursting out laughing and having tears trickling down the cheeks. But it was a nice combination with the classic horror for Asian cinema in terms of a ghost story.

I have to say that the storyline was actually quite good, and it was well-written by writers Ferry Lesmana, Bene Dion Rajagukguk and Sunil Soraya. I was quite enjoying the pacing of the movie and the events that transpired on the screen.

Now, with me not being overly familiar with the Indonesian cinema, I must say that it was nice to watch a heap of new faces on the screen. Yeah, I have a thing with watching actors and actresses that I am not overly familiar with on the screen, as they are not associated with previously portrayed characters in other movies.

"Suzzanna: Buried Alive" was actually an enjoyable movie, and if you enjoy a light-hearted Asian horror comedy, then you should take the time to sit down and watch this. I am rating it a six out of ten stars.

Suzzanna has just learned she is expecting. Her husband is a successful businessman and has to do some traveling for work when their home is broken into and Suzzanna is killed. She is then turned into a sundel bolong and sets out for revenge.

Let's start with the fact that this is comedy horror. If you are looking for genuine scares you aren't going to find them here. The next thing is to take a look at what a sundel bolong is. A sundel bolong is the soul of a woman who died when she was pregnant. Although she is married in this film, she is usually pregnant outside of marriage and since she has died while pregnant the unborn child has escaped her body by way of a hole in her back. She is recognized by her long white gown and although there is a hole in her back, it is concealed by her long black hair and she is a vengeful spirit.

This was ok. Seeing as how it is comedy horror, there is a bit of cheese to be found here. The story was decent as was the acting. The sets, makeup, costuming and effects were all passable for me. The thing that bugged me most was her laughing. It sounded very much like the laughing you would expect to hear while watching an old Scooby Doo episode.

My takeaway was generally good. This isn't a film that blew me off my feet. It probably didn't have a big budget but I think they did good with what they seemed to be working with. I liked it but I'll probably never watch it again.

Well, I think this movie is pretty scary. I watched it alone via Netflix. But yeah, at first I didn't like the way Luna Maya talked cause her upper lip couldn't move because of the make up. But I still found it pretty scary. The music is awesome.

The make up, costumes, and sets are good. I should gives more thumbs up for the make up to be pretty similar with the late Suzana, although in some close up scenes it doesn't looks that smooth. There are some jokes that cracked me up. Overall I'm quite enjoyed wacthing it BUT the story could be better tho. I just found something missing in this film.

This horror film is not a film that is compared with serious horror films such as MATA BATIN, or MEREKA YANG TAK TERLIHAT, or Jailangkung. This Suzzana film is aimed at selling the nostalgia of the past in 1980 era.

In this movie, setting items ranging from cars, kitchen utensils, extinct President Taxi, all reminded of the past of the 80 era that triumphed with national films.

Honestly, I watched with family because of the star Luna Maya. Then, hope this film evokes memories of the 80th era national comedy horror film. Unfortunately, the director did not use the momentum of smart comedy in the middle of the film. When the helpers left the village due to fear, the acting of Asri Welas and Opi Kumis was actually good. The director should dig deeper into this intelligent situation comedy by exploring the appearance of Suzzana in front of the villagers, for example by buying raw Sate 200 with raw, or appearing to villagers with slapstick comedy cuteness before going back into the serious and scary scenes.

The director is carelesst and less able to take advantage of the spooky and comedy momentum that became the mainstay of Suzzana films and Indonesian horror films in the era of the 80s.