The first time I watched Impetigore, I was completely enthralled. I really was invested from the start, especially since you could feel a sense of dread looming upon the main character, her friend and us the audience.
The intro sequence sets up events quite well, as a lot is done with old school tropes. How do two young girls fare with the dangers of the world? Is it even responsible for them to work at nights in a quite isolated place? They get their answer. After the attack on her, Maya (Tara Basro) did some digging into her aunt's stuff and found a picture of her parents and herself as a little child. On the back of the picture, her true name is written. The same name that was uttered by the creep who attacked her. Naturally, she wants to know about her parents and her background, so she decides to visit the village where she was born. Dini (Marissa Anita) is a good friend and joins her with the hope that this journey will bring them on the path of success and wealth. It's not mentioned as such, but I think the fact that these two are poor was another major reason for them to go to the village. Had they been wealthy, I doubt, they would care as much. Whatever their motivation, it's the hook for the terror to be unleashed upon you with all it's wickedness.
I don't know about you, but as far-fetched as events may seem, there are places in the world where certain customs and rituals exist. Even in the supposed sober minded Western world. Here in The Netherlands, people regard themselves as grounded. But then there is a little island called, Ameland, where people celebrate Sunneklaas. Clouded in mystery and secrecy. The mere attempt to learn more about this yearly tradition ends up in people being beaten up, and the police and mayor are very eager to help them accomplish this. Like this island, the village is in the middle of nowhere. It strikes me that it is very easily to lead a life here full of questionable customs and rituals. This is exactly what happens in the film, and somehow Maya is connected to this.
The second time I watched this, certain scenes remained to be heavily atmospheric and thrilling, while others weren't as impressive as before. Once you know what is going on 80 percent of the dread is diminished. To be fair, most horror films that rely on suspense and mystery elements have the same problem. These aren't really films to be watched multiple times. But I do realize that for some people, whether it's the first or second time, the film won't be scary.
After my first viewing, I regarded this as a better film than Satan's Slaves. Now, I think it's the other way around. Impetigore is a little over the top and slightly pretentious, but definitely worth your time if you are willing to suspend some disbelief!
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