Blood Flower

I am a fan of Malaysian horror and this was right on brand with what I'm familiar with. Many of them tend to lean towards folk horror and this one was in that same vain.

The story was spooky and intriguing but I don't think it needed to be quite as long as it was... although it didn't really drag much surprisingly. It did have a light sense of maybe being geared towards a younger audience but also had some pretty dark and gruesome subject matter.

The special effects and gore were actually pretty cool and gnarly, while the actual monster looked a bit silly most of the time and the flowers looked like play-doh. The acting also appeared to come across quite well to an English speaker at least.

All in all this was a good bit better than I was expecting it to be, while still delivering what I have come to expect from Malaysian horror. Would recommend.

This film had potential but I can't believe they messed it up. The protagonist was so wimpy and girly that it was cringy to see him constantly curled up in fear. He also look as smart as a jar of molasses. Why do they do that to a character they're trying to endear and get the audience to relate to and sympathize with. You don't want to hate the protagonist like you do here. I just think it was poorly written and it looks like it could have been good even with the small budget. The story just looks like it was written on the Fly. So many things happen when it didn't need to, and things didn't happen when it should have. It's hard to explain where this keeps missing and it just looks like it was made by two different groups that did not communicate with one another.

Despite the limitations of using English subtitles to understand what was going on, I think this film could have been better. It seems like the main goal was a gorefest, but a more interesting (and less derivative) tale could certainly have been told -- if anyone involved cared (but they didn't). The pacing was not great; the film often dragged.

The first act is the most interesting, as we're trying to figure out what's going on. The rest of the film slowly devolves into supernatural horror (possession and murder). I didn't like many of the characters, and it's hard to feel sympathy for people who aren't behaving or communicating well (even when lives depend on following rules and sharing information).

The cultural differences were mildly interesting -- at first -- but when the film got into gory-exorcism mode the disgusting happenings dominated (but not in a good way). I also found the use of seemingly generic prayers (by exorcists) to accomplish very specific goals quite unconvincing. Not sure if this was to avoid offending certain people.

I don't recommend this unless you specifically like Malaysian horror. I give it 3.5 stars, with half-star penalties for excessive gore, missed opportunities, and poor pacing. That's two (2) stars total.

Blood Flower is a simple tale of possession, and coming of age film. It's housed in a structure that speaks largely of morality, both good versus evil but also taking responsibilities for one's actions.

Iqbal is an adolescent with supernatural powers, as does his mother. She with the father act as exorcist in Malaysia, and are Muslim. (I mention this only to separate this film from the American assumption of Catholicism/Christianity as the religion for possession films.) It opens with them starting to train Iqbal to become an exorcist as well. But, not all goes well.

The rest of the film is various examples of good versus evil across a spectrum of dimensions of people residing in a large apartment complex, asaumed for lower income families. This tale has many storylines that all intertwine based upon the characters' close proximity. All are simple stories based on that good-bad characteristic and the choices that are made.

Engaging simple story is watchable and overall I was entertained. It was well made, but it's not a complicated film.

I understand the hate. Most people really hate the plot but I really think it's interesting. Let's say, if you love gore and "The Sixth Sense". But the plot is very messy, but still easy to keep on track. Next is acting. Bront Palarae did a great job at playing this role. Understandable since he got the same role in "Pengabdi Setan". But I got mixed feelings on Idan Aedan, its feels like going down a rollercoaster. Sometimes, Kayu and sometimes good and sometimes okay. But the other cast did a great job. Jumpscare are fine, I'm not complaining. Let's say, if bored and don't know what to watch on Disney+ Hotstar, watch Harum Malam. There's a 50% chance you might hate it, and there's 50% you might like it. Overall 7/10.