Almarhum [Movie Review]

Almarhum [Movie Review] | I have watched the movie quite some time ago, but forgotten all about it until recently.

So, here's my comment on the movie. 

SYNOPSIS

Almarhum (2025) Trivia

• Starring: Ratu Sofya, Dimas Aditya, Rukman Rosadi, Nova Eliza & Alzi Markers
• Director: Adhe Dharmastriya
• Producer: Oswin Bonifanz
• Production Company: Unlimited Production & A&Z Films

• Distributed by: Suraya Filem & Netflix
• Release date: January 9, 2025
• Running time: 103 minutes
• Rating: MA
• Country: Indonesia
• Language: Indonesian
• IMDb: 5.6/ 10
• Tomatometer: NA
• Metascore: NA
• In Javanese belief, a death on Selasa Kliwon can drag family members to the grave, hence the pecah piring ritual to break that bond.
• Some crew refused to stay overnight after hearing footsteps and whispers, and one camera mysteriously shut down at midnight three nights straight.
• The cursed bundle and human eye echo real santet practices, while the plate-shattering scene was shot with a cultural advisor and prayers to ward off bad energy. 
• The final shot of Pak Budi’s smile was left vague—hinting he may be a pendem, a hidden spirit controlling events.

In a remote village that still uphold ancient superstition, Mulwanto, a prosperous orchard owner, lived with his three children. His youngest, Yanda, shunned university, unlike his ambitious siblings. On a fateful Tuesday Kliwon, tragedy struck. As Mulwanto’s second child, Nuri, celebrated her graduation, Mulwanto was fatally electrocuted while bathing. Local lore warned that those who die on a Tuesday Kliwon drag loved ones to the grave. To defy this curse, the family was urged to perform a plate-smashing ritual.

Wisesa, the eldest, a pragmatic doctor, scoffed at the ritual’s absurdity. During the ceremony, Mulwanto’s frail widow, Rahmi, too weak to participate, lingered behind with Wisesa. The next morning, Rahmi was found unconscious on the road, narrowly saved from an oncoming car. Shivering uncontrollably, she whispered to Nuri and Ajeng, Mulwanto’s niece, that she’d soon depart, following her husband and take them with her. On the third day, Wisesa left for Yogyakarta, citing work. That night, a spectral pocong appeared in Rahmi’s room. Moments later, a ceiling fan crashed, killing her instantly.

Haunted by visions and an unrelenting chill, Wisesa unraveled. After Rahmi’s burial, Nuri and Yanda sought Mbah Sukma, a reclusive mystic recommended by the enigmatic Pak Budi. Meanwhile, Wisesa grew suspicious of Pak Budi’s meddling. Beneath his bed, he discovered a chilling find: a glass eye and a mysterious bundle. Sending a photo to Nuri, Wisesa followed a vision of his father into the forest, where a trap gashed his leg. Rescued and taken to a village clinic, he hallucinated being locked in a morgue. In his delirium, he fell from a bed, impaled fatally by a metal rod. Wisesa was buried on the fifth day since Mulwanto’s death.

Nuri and Yanda delivered the bundle to Mbh Sukma, who revealed the family was cursed by santet. Through a ritual, she redirected the hex to its source: Pak Suyono, Mulwanto’s envious brother-in-law. 

Years earlier, Suyono entrusted his daughter, Ajeng, to Mulwanto for education, only to learn she was relegated to stablehand. Consumed by betrayal, Suyono, with Ajeng’s aid, unleashed the santet. 

Who or what is responsible for their survival or deaths?

MY REVIEW

What I Like:  

• Another movie that taught me new culture and tradition.
• You could feel the Final Destination's vibe throughout the movie.

What I Don't Like:

• Some scenes were too dark. 
• No new recipe here. 
• Some scenes drag without tension, while others rush too fast to build fear or character

Will I Watch It Again: Once is enough.

Overall: 3.6/ 5.0

The pictures are taken from multiple sources on the Internet. Thank you.

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