Qifarah [Movie Review]

Qifarah [Movie Review] | I missed the chance to catch it in cinemas when it was released. Now that it has finally landed on Netflix, there was no way I was going to let it slip by again.

But the real question is this: will Sharifah Sakinah truly shine in a villainous role?

SYNOPSIS

Qifarah (2025) Trivia

• Starring: Datuk Remy Ishak, Sharifah Sakinah, Rita Nadira, Liyana Jasmay, Namron, Vanida Imran, Esma Daniel & Rafique Iskandar
• Director: Ghaz Abu Bakar
• Producer: Syamin Yusof, Priya Narayanan, Datuk Dr. Yusof Haslam, Michael Helfman, Abhilash Chandra & Nana Azmi
• Production Company: Skop Productions & My Way Pictures
• Distributed by: Primeworks Studios & Astro Shaw
• Release date: October 9, 2025
• Running time: 94 minutes
• Rating: MA
• Country: Malaysia
• Language: Bahasa Melayu
• IMDb: 5.5/ 10
• Tomatometer: NA
• Metascore: NA
• “Qifarah” comes from kifarah, the Islamic concept of atonement. Beneath its horror lies a story about guilt, inherited sin and consequences that refuse to disappear. 
• Though styled as cinematic horror, its rituals and curses are rooted in Southeast Asian folklore.

Yusoff believed he had outrun his past the day he rebuilt his life in Cairo with Marissa and their young son, Mikhael. Distance, he convinced himself, was its own kind of medicine. Miles could dull memory and time could soften grief. Or so he thought.

Everything changes with a single call. His father, Ghazali, is dying.

Yusoff returns to Malaysia alone, stepping back into a childhood home that feels frozen in time. What unsettles him most is not the silence, but Mak War. His stepmother looks exactly as she did years ago. Untouched by age or time. No one ever truly explained what happened to his mother, Nur after he was sent overseas to study. Mak War simply stepped in and took care of the family after they were gone.

While wandering through the house, Yusoff discovers a hidden door he once used during childhood games of hide and seek with his best friend, Din. Drawn by instinct, he climbs the narrow staircase into the attic. Shadows stretch unnaturally across the walls. Then he sees him. A pale, eerie boy standing in the corner. Watching and then running towards him. When his half sister Eykha suddenly opens the door, Yusoff flees, shaken but unsure of what he just witnessed.

The disturbances begin to repeat. Yusoff starts to suspect something darker at play. Something rooted in black magic.

Marissa and Mikhael arrive unexpectedly. On the same day they reunite, Ghazali dies moments after meeting his grandson. His body is placed in the living room overnight. That night, Yusoff wakes to an impossible sight. His father’s corpse crouched in the dark. The eerie boy also appears and jumps at Yusoff. The lights flick on. Everything returns to normal. But nothing feels normal anymore.

After the burial, Pak Mat confesses the truth.

Years ago, Ghazali rescued Mawar from a tragic fire and took her as a second wife while Nur was pregnant. The family’s wealth flourished after the marriage. But prosperity came at a cost. Every blood moon demanded a child’s life. Din was one of them. Nur was buried alive in exchange for Yusoff’s safety. He was sent abroad to forget.

Now Yusoff has returned. And the blood moon is rising again.

Can a family truly escape a curse written in blood?

MY REVIEW

What I Like:  

• I love the cast as you can feel their chemistry.
• Sakinah really embodies her character well, the way she dress and talk really embodies an evil villain.  
• Beautiful cinematography.

What I Don't Like:

• At times, the script seems disconnected. 
• No new recipe here. 

Will I Watch It Again: Sure, I don't mind watching it again.

Overall: 4.2/ 5.0

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

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