Satan’s Slaves (2017)

Director: Joko Anwar

Starring: Tara Basro, Bront Palarae, Dimas Aditya

After dying from a strange illness that she suffered for 3 years, a mother returns home to pick up her children.

22-Year old Rini stays with her 16-year old brother Tony, 10-year old brother Bondi, 6-year old brother Ian (who is deaf), parents and ailing Grandmother, Rhama (her Dad’s mother). Why do I mention the kids’ ages? Because it is important in the story. The mother, Mawarni, who used to be a famous singer, has been sick for three years and is being cared for at home.

Shortly after Mawarni dies, Rhama also dies. The graveyard is so close that it can be seen from their home, which allows for a foreboding atmosphere that sends a chill down the spine.

Shortly after her mother’s death, Rini finds a letter addressed to a man named Budiman. Having read the letter, she decides to take it to him to enquire about a warning mentioned in it. Budiman tells Rini her Rhama never approved of her father marrying Mawarni. When Mawarni finally got pregnant after years of infertility, Rahma believed Mawarni asked Satan for children, and not God.

As the film develops, more details about Mawarni and the children are uncovered, and that a Satanic cult will come for Ian when he turns seven. Now, the family must stand together to save Ian, and themselves. The performances by the young child actors, especially, are fantastic. The visuals and make-up are excellent.

Accompanied by eerie music and sound effects, ‘Satan’s Slaves’ is a creepy film with highly effective jump scares destined to make you bolt in your seat. Bloody, hell, this film is creepy as hell and gave me gooseflesh more often than not. The film is relentless in its scares, and then ends on a chilling note.

‘Satan’s Slaves’ received 34 award nominations, winning 12 including Best Young Performer, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Sound, Best Original Score, Best Visual Effects, Best Director, Best Editing, among others. At the box office, ‘Satan’s Slaves’ was a huge success, earning over $16 million on a tiny budget of only $150,000. It was the highest-grossing Indonesian film of 2017.

In Indonesian.

Would I watch it again? Yes.