Sebelum Iblis Menjemput: Ayat Dua

As much as I like the predecessor, May the Devil Take You 2 doesn't live up to the expectations brought by the teasers or the Evil Dead vibes, which executed very well in the first film. The premise is too far-fetched, and the new groups here just too many, making it's reasonable to say that most of them are solely for the sake of body counts.

The exploitation nature of the movie, with good execution, can be enjoyable if we have relatively good characters or satisfying gory/horror scenes. However, this film (due to the body counts token) can only make one-dimensional characters with many weird dialogues or instances. The female lead Ms. Islan also can't justify others' acting due to the pressure of femme fatale scripts that wants her to be as badass as possible. The horror scenes are quite decent, but it takes away many chances to build suspense to focus on campy and brief jumpscares with white-faced ghosts.

With almost two hours (!!!) to build a movie on such a thin premise and somewhat inadequate central components, the movie can't hold my attention to join the roller coaster. The movie has its good scenes in the climax when not too many characters appear and the aim is precise. It's not that worth of wait, but still interesting enough for you who wants to know more profound about the devil's nature.

Although I am relatively disappointed by this movie, I still hope that there is a third installment just for the sake of living horror exploitation alive in Indonesia horror scenes. We are short of this kind of subgenre, and we need that to ensure that the whole horror word in Indonesia only can be defined as jumpscares.

This one starts with the scared immediately and does not let up. I loved the premise and was genuinely terrified. Give this a watch!

A slight improvement over its predecessor, this sequel represents another brutally intense addition to Timo Tjahjanto's impressive filmography.

The first film's survivors are thrust into another nightmare with new characters; a dark tale of evil that hurtles along at breakneck speed, rarely allowing you to catch your breath between the extended sequences of demonic terrorisation.

Overall, a good horror experience with just enough character development to balance out the bloodshed.

7/10

I recently watched the Indonesian film May the Devil Take You Too (2020) on Shudder. The storyline resumes two years after the previous installment, where survivors Alfie and Nara grapple with recurring nightmares of past events. When their nightmares materialize once again, they must safeguard their souls and those of their friends.

Written and directed by Timo Tjahjanto (Killers), the film stars Chelsea Islan (Street Society), Aurélie Moeremans (Pretty Boys), Shareefa Daanish (Macabre), and Widika Darsih Sidmore (Death Knot).

The creative influence from the Evil Dead franchise and Sam Raimi is unmistakable throughout the movie's construction. From the storyline to possessed elements, gore, and horror effects, it feels like an Indonesian homage to Evil Dead. The settings effectively contribute to an eerie atmosphere, and the makeup, ghost creation, and special effects showcase elite craftsmanship. While the kills may initially disappoint, the last 20-30 minutes deliver an elite ending, including a standout tongue scene that I'd rate a 10/10.

In conclusion, May the Devil Take You Too offers ample gore and elite kill scenes, making it a must-see for horror enthusiasts. However, the noticeable parallels to The Evil Dead prevent a higher score, settling at 6/10.

Unfortunately the new characters albeit in the late 20's are all childish and subsequently our lead Alfie also succumbs to acting like a whining child. If the acting of the characters isn't enough to drive it home just how childish it is there is even a stupid Harry Potter spell gag. However there is still some gore and decent scenes, plus the usual nods to Cabin in the Woods, Army of Darkness etc. Hope the third film recovers it's original feel.