After reading an article, I was a little confused on Qodrat being classified as an action / fantasy film. Yes, one could argue that it's fantasy and has some action in it, but in my opinion this is a horror film.
Before some people get excited, the action is very minimal and merely is to demonstrate the skills Ustads like Qodrat have. They literally are kicking demons into hell. But in Qodrat's case, his conviction is his biggest strength. This being an Indonesian film, it makes sense that Islam is an important factor and I must say, hearing Qodrat utter prayers to fight demons is impressive. It takes him a bit to get into the groove because he is depressed. Who wouldn't be, after failing to exorcize his own son, resulting in his death. But after some other setbacks, is ready to commit to the cause.
The horror elements are decent enough, follows every trope in the rule book. But the true terror comes from a twist that, for me personally, made events far more compelling. It also helps that the actors do a good job of selling the events. None of them are over the top, so you immediately are aware when things aren't exactly right with them. Although, the kid actor did get on my nerves in one scene. His sister told him to calm down a bit when investigating the noises they hear. Instead of letting her, he keeps screaming. If it were me, I would have come back and slapped him in the face. Yes, I understand that he was scared and panicking. A slap in the face usually fixes that.
Overall, I wasn't exactly wowed by the viewing experience. But I wasn't let down either. It was entertaining, and wouldn't mind seeing Qodrat returning (which is very subtly stated at the end) as THE ultimate and totally righteous exorcist!
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