Vina: Sebelum 7 hari

Vina: Sebelum 7 Hari attempts to present itself as a socially conscious film highlighting a tragic crime, but instead delivers a disturbing narrative that dangerously blurs the line between awareness and romanticization of violence.

The most alarming issue lies in the film's tone and visual language, which often aestheticize the very trauma it claims to condemn. Scenes depicting rape and physical abuse are shot with a dramatic flair that feels exploitative rather than empathetic-framed with soft lighting, slow motion, and melodramatic music that uncomfortably resemble romance tropes. Instead of centering the victim's pain and humanity, the film gives disproportionate emotional weight to the perpetrators, almost inviting sympathy or intrigue around them.

This is not just tone-deaf storytelling-it's harmful. In a country where gender-based violence is still frequently downplayed, a film like this bears responsibility to educate and advocate, not stylize and sensationalize. Sadly, Vina: Sebelum 7 Hari fails to handle its sensitive subject with the maturity and respect it demands.

What should have been a powerful tribute to a victim's voice ends up feeling more like a glossy reenactment made for shock value than a sincere call for justice.

In Vina: Before 7 Days, the grim reality of a true crime story from Indonesia is brought to the screen with a chilling blend of horror and tragedy. The film begins with the unsettling discovery of two bodies by the roadside, initially presumed to be victims of a traffic accident. The deceased are Vina, a 16-year-old girl, and her friend Eky. However, the horrific state of Vina's body quickly casts doubt on the accident theory. Witnesses report her body being mutilated beyond recognition, with unnatural cuts and broken limbs that suggest a more sinister cause of death.

Vina's family, unable to accept the official narrative, becomes haunted by the incongruities surrounding her demise. Their grief and suspicion drive the story forward, as they notice the unnatural injuries on her body-cuts and breaks inconsistent with those from a typical vehicle accident.

As a Malaysian unfamiliar with this case that shook Indonesia, I found myself deeply disturbed by the fact that these events are based on true stories. The climax of the film, occurring on the sixth day after Vina's death, involves a possession that reveals the horrifying truth. Linda, Vina's friend, becomes possessed by Vina's spirit, providing a conduit for the deceased to communicate and unravel the mystery surrounding her death.

The inclusion of real recordings of Vina's spirit allegedly possessing Linda at the end of the film adds a layer of authenticity and discomfort, reminding the audience that these events, as sensational as they seem, are rooted in reality. This element is particularly disturbing, as it underscores the fact that such tragic and violent events have real-life counterparts.

The retelling of this story is notably commercial, designed to be easily understood by a wide audience. The filmmakers have managed to balance the need for mass appeal with the seriousness of the subject matter, creating a narrative that is both accessible and profoundly impactful. The ghostly apparitions and jump scares predominantly target the antagonist, symbolizing his overwhelming guilt and internal torment. These moments serve not merely to frighten but to underscore the psychological horror of living with one's misdeeds.

By dramatizing these events, Vina: Before 7 Days rekindles public interest in finding the true perpetrators, urging viewers to look beyond the surface and question deeper truths. It serves as a poignant reminder of the pain and suffering behind real-life tragedies, compelling us to seek justice and truth.

In conclusion, Vina: Before 7 Days is more than just a horror film; it is a sobering reflection on the nature of violence, justice, and the human capacity for both cruelty and resilience. As we are drawn into Vina's tragic story, we are reminded of the real lives impacted by such events. May Vina's soul find peace, and may the truth, however elusive, eventually come to light.

Actually, the story of victim 'Vina' has already been known by people, especially Indonesian. Most of them knew the story because it was un-usual case. The case was revealed by 'a ghost' that possesses Vina's best friend.

No special in this film, story that we knew already, common cinematography, no special effects, slow story telling at the begining. However, the positive thing is, the case is starting the new stage, people encourage police department to find the rest of 3 murders that still not caught yet.

So, people watched because the curios, that's it...

The last, some part of the story wasn't from original story, film director added some 'spices' in the film to entertain spectators.

People went in expecting it to be a movie storyline, but that's the mistake. It's a true story, they made this film to showcase the true incident that happened to the both of them.

It's not a film that you can sit and review on the screenplay or their acting. It may be hard for some people to actually feel the pain of the victim, but it has happened for real and it has been proven.

The only part that I was not satisfied is they should have also emphasized on the story of the other guy who also got murdered, I felt like all the spotlight was on Vina but by right the guy also should receive the same amount of justice as Vina did.

It's a film to bring justice to the victims. So please don't review or rate low just because you don't like it as a film.

I was expecting a generic horror with jump scares but I was surprised it was actually quite good. Following the tragic death of the titular Vina, supernatural occurrences happen. There are a few jump scares where the audience screamed out loud but I was not scared. The ghost did not look scary, as you can see in the poster but there are scenes of brutality inflicted on the victim that are very hard hitting. The s a scenes are suggested but the blood and violence is not held back. The possession scenes are the most powerful scenes to me because you understand how the titular character suffered. Every time it happens, it feels heavy. While most of the acting was pretty decent, the guy who played the main villain was the stand-out performer. He was best when he was not talking. You see that his character is irredeemable, and very callous yet he is still just a kid. He is actually more complex than he deserves to be but you just can't forgive him. Another good point was the score. The musical score added to the atmosphere well too. However, there are some flaws to the movie. Many horror scenes are derived from other movies and generic. There was no element of suspense. Even though they set the time limit in the title to raise the stakes, I don't feel the urgency. But these flaws are more than compensated by the direction and focus of the movie. By connecting it to a real life murder case, the tragedy and haunting feel very impactful. It shows Indonesian horror is consistently offering an interesting blend of horror elements in their movies.