It
could be the Indonesian Hereditary—and
it’s a remake, so there really isn’t much new under the sun. That doesn’t mean
it isn’t scary as Hell though. After three years of bedridden decline, Rini
Suwono’s mother is finally gone. Or is she? She was always difficult, but she
takes it to all new heights (or lows) when she starts haunting her family. It
seems to be all part of her satanic death cult’s plan in Joko Anwar’s Satan’s Slaves (trailer here), which screens
during this year’s Cinepocalypse in Chicago.
Mawarni
Suwono was once a popular local folk singer, whose eerie ballads had a vibe not
unlike the string-heavy Judy Collins’ rendition of “Both Sides Now” that happens
to play over Hereditary’s closing
credits. Of course, her old records label just throws crumbs to her family, so
they are in rather desperate financial straits. In fact, the nameless father
will leave looking for work shortly after the funeral.
As
a result, Rini will have to face the initial rounds of terror and tragedy on
her own, including the death of her paternal grandmother. That just leaves her
and her younger brothers: the surprisingly helpful sixteen-year-old Tony, the
bratty ten-year-old Bondi, and the mute nearly seven-year-old Ian, who will
become the primary focus of most of the supernatural and sinister attention.
Rather tellingly, none of the siblings look alike, presumably because they were
each the product of unions with different cult members.
So
yes, things are bad, but they will get steadily worse. Hereditary really is a fitting comparison film for Satan’s Slaves, which incorporates elements
of James Wan haunted house movies, demonic horror, and killer cults. The milieu
of isolated rural poverty and Islamic traditionalism heightens the atmosphere
of hopeless dread (it might be politically incorrect to say it, but the truth is
Catholics and Buddhists have the best exorcists). The early 1980s period
details are all spot-on and the music, most particularly Suwono’s old records,
burrows under your skin like a tick.
Tara
Basro solidly anchors the film as Rini, but some of the best work comes from
her younger co-stars, especially Nasar Annuz and M. Adhiyat, who are completely
believable as Bondi and Ian, even when placed in some wildly freaky
circumstances. As a bonus, Egy Fedly cranks up the attitude and eccentricity as
Budiman, who was once a close friend of Rini’s grandmother, before becoming a
paranoid Fortean researcher.
