Inang

Now now, before the bawang army attack me.. I am Malaysian kay. The movie is okay. A little jump scare here and there, but it was on point and well executed. What I love about this is the myth and mysteries throughout the movie, it keep you guessing. Some scene are depicting real life situations for single mothers. What comes after the reveal is what I don't like about the movie. The movie can be dragging with unnecessary scenes that contribute to no point to the ending. The ending is predictable including the mid-credit scene. The Wekasan Wednesday is interesting, I didnt know what it's about until I googled it.

That's all I guess. Its a good horror flick and room for improvement. At least better than most Malaysian's horror movie.

Not that I despise horror films about cults and myths, The Womb definitely had a convincing premise. A poor girl who is pregnant out of wedlock, struggling to meet ends, finds an old couple via a facebook group meet and trusts them enough to adopt her newborn. She will have to move in with them till the child is born but she starts having visions, that make her doubt the intentions of the elderly couple. Are they really as nice as they portray to be and if those visions are true, will she escape her fate, forms rest of the story.

The problem is not just the runtime but the tone of the movie which largely narrated in a slow pace. In addition, it is less of a horror film and more of a drama, the doesn't truly pay off. The initial few minutes succeed in establishing her plight as well as her financial struggles which justifies her decision to trust total strangers. But the second act is super slow. Once the important character that of the son is introduced, the film should've taken off but the writer and director falter in presenting this character.

From hereon, the film becomes extremely predictable. Though the reveal is actually good which again proves the premise was indeed an interesting one, it comes way too late to save the film.

I think that overall this was a successful film. I think it could have benefited greatly from being condensed a bit. The almost two hour run time felt drawn out and like they didn't have quite enough to fill it. The pacing was just a tad too slow but what they did have was interesting and spooky.

I wish they had leaned into the creepy folk lore they were working with opposed to relying on quite a few jump scares. Also the special effects weren't the best but can for sure be looked past. The acting over all was decent across the board with two really great, high intensity high emotion scenes from the son towards the end.

I am partial to foreign folk horror so I am giving this a six, but for most it would probably land around a 5. Would still recommend.

There's nothing special in the movie. As I said in the title; it's just Drama with a few jumpscare here and there, and that's it.

Story is super predictable and really dumbed down hence making the unveiling of the mystery feels so lacking. It seems the director doesn't know how to "show not tell" while shooting this movie.

The horror aspect of this movie is that all of horror and scary things is so pointless, when it's all finished you kinda asking yourself "what was all the horror about?" It's brought nothing and it's awful to call this one as a horror movie.

One thing I liked about this movie is the pacing. The first 30 minutes of the movie is the prolog (which is nice) to horror movie that it will bring, but alas it never came. 4/10.

Inang is an Indonesian horror film that dares to offer something different from most local horror titles. It combines the essence of Javanese myth and cultural tradition with a contemporary urban narrative that feels close to today's audience. One of the film's strongest points is its consistently dark and eerie atmosphere, created through solid cinematography and a lingering sense of mystery.

Naysila Mirdad, as the leading actress, delivers a convincing performance, capturing fear, pressure, and curiosity naturally. The supporting cast also breathes life into their roles, making the characters believable within the film's unsettling world. The cultural aspect of Javanese rituals becomes a unique strength as it's rarely explored in modern Indonesian horror.

However, the film isn't without flaws. Some parts of the pacing feel slow, causing the built-up tension to occasionally lose its grip. The horror elements rely more on ambiance and mystical symbolism rather than intense jumpscares or terrifying moments. While there are some twists, experienced horror fans might find them predictable.

Overall, Inang deserves appreciation for bravely blending local culture with a thriller concept, though there's room to sharpen its tension and deepen its narrative layers.