Welcome back to Thursday Movie Picks hosted by Wandering through the Shelves blog; it’s a weekly series where you share three movie picks each Thursday. And since it’s October, the series is running the Halloween Edition, and according to the schedule, this Thursday is Asian Horror day!
So, this is the whole schedule for Halloween Edition. Check my other post by clicking on the title.
October 1 – Alfred Hitchcock Movies
October 8 – Villainous Children
October 15 – Asian Horror
October 22 – Werewolves
October 29 – Ghost Movies
I’ve seen tons of Asian Horrors during my teenage years, but here I present a special mission—to introduce stunning Indonesian horror you shan’t miss. Perhaps, they’re beyond your radar, but Indonesian cinema’s more than just The Raid; there are plenty of hidden gems await. In my picks this week, there are 3 Indonesian horror movies released in 2009. Without further ado, let me present you my picks!
01. Rumah Dara (2009) a.k.a. Macabre
Meet Dara, mother of three, living in a secluded sanctuary since we don’t know when. When a group of people rescue her daughter and bring her home, Dara entertains them with a banquet… before she brings horrors home. Dubbed as Indonesian first slasher movie, Rumah Dara a.k.a Macabre brings real terror just the way it should’ve been. Intense, gory, and deranged but also comical. Similar to The Raid 2: Berandal, Rumah Dara serves a helluva thriller with comical villains—which we like to see more, perhaps, in a prequel. Well, it’s more a thriller than a horror, but you cannot reason with the horrible feeling in aftermath.
02. Keramat (2009)
Keramat (literally means ‘sacred’) is a pioneering found-footage horror in Indonesia—with a perfect use of mockumentary style to create the atmosphere. There’s an essential amount of supernatural elements, like in the Blair Witch Project but Keramat manages to exploit it in a more grounded way by adjusting local myth and urban legend with cultural aspects, which might make you believe it’s based on a true events. While the story is about a catastrophe in a pre-production of a local movie where the crew encounters supernatural phenomena culminating in a trans-dimensional journey. Not only it’s a horror showcase, it’s also an exhibition of how culture-laden Indonesia is.
03. Pintu Terlarang (2009) a.k.a. The Forbidden Door
The Forbidden Door (locally known as “Pintu Terlarang“) is my personal favorite among these picks. It tails the life of an enigmatic sculptor—who gains fame for making statues of pregnant ladies—along with her mutually enigmatic wife. His perfect life, though, conceals a secret behind a door in his workshop; meanwhile, an unknown power keeps insisting him to unravel the secret. With an obscure twist in the end, The Forbidden Door is not only delivering horror to you, it also deceives you in a way you never want. It’s mysterious, full of secret, but also enticing in many elements. And, yeah, it’s one of the most disturbing horror-thriller from Indonesia.
So, those are my picks—Asian Horrors, which I narrowed down into Indonesian horror. Perhaps, you’ve heard or seen or never known at all; but, seriously, those 3 movies are highly recommended. Please hit the comment button so I know what’s in your mind about my picks. Cheerio!
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