I am back with a new list focusing on 5 recently released or upcoming Indonesian horror films.
I have mentioned that Indonesia has shot to the top of the horror food chain in recent years. These guys have been pumping out so much high-quality horror and don’t seem slowing down. The crazy thing is, it’s only a handful of filmmakers putting the rest of the Asian continents to shame; Joko Anwar, Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahanto. For just 3 filmmakers, the amount of work they have been pumping out is insane. Looks like things are starting to take shift, in the best way possible. New Indonesian filmmakers, born from the ashes of Anwar, Stamboel and Tjahanto have risen and we’re delighted to try and bring this horror uprising to the masses.
Table of Contents
TRINIL: KEMBALIKAN TUBUHKU
Trinil: Kembalikan Tubhuku follows a married couple that has just inherited a large tea plantation in Java that once belonged to his Dutch father. It ain’t long before the couple start to hear disturbances in the night followed by sightings of a female ghost (a floating head ghost, apparently).
Based on a popular radio series of the same name that was broadcast in the 1980s. It is directed by Hanung Bramantyo with a script written by Bramantyo and Haqi Achmad.
PEMUKIMAN SETAN
This one sounds a little different to what we’re used to in Indonesian horror. However, it does sound like a plot in horror that has been tried and tested: thieves break into an antique store and unknowingly unleash a vengeful spirit. We are promised a nice blend of both action and effective horror with PEMUKIMAN SETAN so I am looking forward to this one for sure.
PEMUKIMAN SETAN Is directed by Charles Gozali with a script written by Gozali and Gea Rexy. Gozali seems to have a lot of directing credits behind his name but apart from Qodrat (2022), this one seems to be his only horror film. A name to watch out for, folks.
PAMALI: DUSUN POCONG
Pamali: Dusun Pocong was posted last night on Moviehooker FB. It had one of those real eerie posters that sucked you in. And, up until last night, I had no idea what “Pocong” was. For those of you who don’t know, let me amaze you with my highly researched Googling 😂
“Pocong is a Javanese ghost that is said to be the soul of a dead person trapped in their shroud. Known in Indonesian as kain kafan, the shroud is the prescribed length of cloth used in Muslim burials to wrap the body of the dead person” – Wiki
Directed by Bobby Prasetyo and written by Evelyn Afnalia. I’m sure that this is also a direct sequel to Pamali which was released in 2022. Sorry, I’ve no idea if these are connected…it sounds like they are. Look at it as a 2-for-1! You’re welcome.
KISAH TANAH JAWA: POCONG GUNDUL
More Pocong ghosts with this one. With all this talk of Pocong since yesterday, I honestly feel I’ve unlocked a new supernatural entity. Yes, I have seen these ghosts before but the more I read on them the creepier they sound and they’re all over new Indonesian horror films There are many shapes and sizes of Pocong and I think that is the interesting thing. Your Pocong ghost all depends on what state your actual body was in at the time of death.
KISAH TANAH JAWA: POCONG GUNDUL focuses on a young man who has special cognitive abilities. He tries to capitalise on these abilities but things take a strange turn when he is approached by a distraught couple who want him to find their missing child.
Kisah Tanah Jawa: Pocong Gundul is directed by Awi Suryadi, a name I’m not familiar with but is already a well-respected name in Indonesian horror. I’ll look forward to diving into the rest of his filmography.
DI AMBANG KEMATIAN
Di Ambang Kematian deals with Nadia, a woman who is living her life on the brink of death due to a horrible family fate/curse. The curse has already claimed the lives who became like sacrificial lambs for her father’s murderous tradition. Nadia now must try and escape her untimely fate and put a stop to her father’s evil ways.
That’s it for this list of New Indonesian Horror Films. I hope you’ve added the above movies to your watchlist. Let’s show our love and support for the Indonesian Horror Uprising!
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