After reading so much praise from a few viewers on IMDB. I felt compelled to write a review on there and here on my own website. In large part it will remain the same, but it's possible I will deviate somewhat. In case you happen to find this site and my review on there.
People have been calling this gripping and spine-chilling. There isn't a single event in this film that even came close to this. Director Kimo Stamboel is capable of building up tension and dread. Only in this film, this replaced with empty symbolism and boredom. Badarawuhi, a snake demon, clearly is intended to be scary and intimidating. She might be the latter because of her portrayal by Aulia Sarah. She tries her hardest. If only this was backed up by terror. Most of the time, she waves her hands and touches people. I have seen people do certain movements that can absolutely comes off as creepy and scary. But not in this film.
There is hardly any terror. The few events that are supposed to signify this are laughable at best. Sure, there are some gross and gory scenes, but they hardly have any effect. Then the finale is like one big joke. I think I was supposed to be creeped out by the menacing dancers. I mean, it could have been done, had these dances been backed up elements that actually made these dances unique and terrifying. But this is not the case one bit. It felt like a rip-off from Suspiria (2018) which also was a joke.
But the absolute part that made me lose interest quite fast is the pacing. There is very little story and substance in the first place. Maybe enough for a 5-minute short. But this is stretched out over 2 hours. You can imagine how slow this feels. And yes, in the past Kimo used this tactic to build up tension to a point that it would burst and you would get overwhelmed in a good way. Here, there is little to no build up. I kept waiting and waiting and nothing happened. Like Aulia Sarah, the extras were trying their hardest. But the lead and the other actors were useless. They really should stop casting Maudy Effrosina. She can't do anything to give her role some more weight. It's very likely she is asked to play a little naive. But she goes beyond. So far in every film I have seen. It's very off-putting.
Overall, this is far from the opposite what the majority of the reviewers have been claiming. And don't get me wrong. I wished what they said was true. But to have me sit through this and make me waste my time in this fashion I find criminal. So yeah, don't believe the high rating, this is terrible!
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