News

Netflix has revealed its slate of original titles from Indonesia and Thailand set to premiere in 2025, including a series from the team behind box office phenomenon How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies.

Thai series Mad Unicorn follows a reformed rural street thug who dives into the express delivery industry to challenge a business mogul who once betrayed him and goes on to become the country’s first “unicorn” startup.

It marks the series directorial debut of Nottapon Boonprakob, who co-wrote Sundance 2021 award-winner One For The Road, and is executive produced by Jira Maligool and Vanridee Pongsittisak – the team behind...

Netflix has revealed its slate of original series and films from Thailand and Indonesia set to premiere throughout 2025, as the streaming service continues to invest in Southeast Asian content at a time when “the competition is pulling back,” according to Minyoung Kim, VP of Netflix Content.

The Thai slate features nine titles, following what Kim describes as “eight groundbreaking local productions that captivated audiences across Thailand and beyond” in 2024. The Thai lineup kicks off with “Dalah: Death and the Flowers” on Feb. 27, a high-society murder mystery starring Urassaya Sperbund. The series, helmed by directors Thanika Jenjesda and Alisa Pien, follows a mysterious floral designer who becomes entangled in the suspicious murder of a prime minister candidate on the eve of his wedding, with executive producer Prabda Yoon overseeing the production.

Genre offerings feature prominently in the Thai slate, including “Ziam,” a zombie action thriller directed by Kulp Kaljareuk, starring Prin Suparat...

Netflix is releasing two new Indonesian films this year. One is a comedy-drama called ‘The Actor,’ directed by Ernest Prakasa, about an actor who loses his acting skills right before landing a big role.

The other is ‘The Elixir,’ a zombie movie directed by Kimo Stamboel, about a potion that causes a zombie outbreak. Both films feature popular Indonesian actors and are part of Netflix’s global slate of new content.

‘The Elixir’ adds to Netflix’s collection of zombie shows in Asia, which includes popular South Korean series like’ All of Us Are Dead,’ ‘#Alive,’ and ‘Kingdom,’ as well as the Japanese show ‘Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead.’

Indonesia is an important market for Netflix in Southeast Asia, but the role of the content head for the country is currently empty after Rusli Eddy stepped down in October. Malobika Banerji, Netflix’s head of Southeast Asian content,...

Continuing its run of slate launches globally, Netflix unveiled new Indonesian originals premiering on its platform this year.

The streamer is working on its first collaboration with director and comedian Ernest Prakasa, titled The Actor (Lupa Daratan). The comedy-drama film is about an egocentric actor who is on the cusp of landing the lead role in a prestige biopic, but suddenly finds himself stripped of his acting abilities. The film stars Vino G. Bastian, Agus Kuncoro and Dea Panendra.

Netflix will also launch its first zombie film from Indonesia, The Elixir, from accomplished horror director Kimo Stamboel. Previously announced with the working title of Abadi Nan Jaya, the film tells the story of a potion that ends up triggering a zombie outbreak due to the ambition of a herbal medicine company’s owner. The Elixir stars Donny Damara, Mikha Tambayong, Eva Celia, Dimas Anggara, Kiki Narendra and Marthino Lio.

The...

Over the last few years, the horror genre in Asian countries has seen a noticeable and sizeable shift. While powerhouses like Japan and South Korea remain prominent in the scene, other countries have emerged to challenge their throne. Indonesia and Thailand continue their stellar collection of recent releases with strong selections mixed throughout this year’s selection. They are joined by a thrilling proposition that Vietnam is stepping up. Having flirted with some impressive entries over the last few years, this was the year they stepped through with some major titles to join the crowded field that shows the country developing into a potential powerhouse to come.

And now, without further ado, our selections for the best Asian Horror Films of 2024, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2023, but since they mostly circulated in 2024, we decided to include them.

20. Occult

Despite essentially being a promo for “Onpaku”, “Occult...

Following a 2023 that definitely belonged to Malaysia, with titles like “Tiger Stripes“, “Abang Adik”, “La Luna” and a number of others, it seems that 2024 belongs to another Asean country, Indonesia. For us that we have been following local cinema for some years, this does not come as a surprise, since the stories were already there and it seemed that the industry just needed some nurturing in order to fully bloom. Following investment by Cj, it was when streamers and particularly Netflix started investing in local content, that the leap that was bound to happen finally became reality. Headed by Joko Anwar, Kamila Andini, Kimo Stamboel, Timo Tjahjanto and a number of others, local cinema seems to be in good hands, as the movies in the following list eloquently highlight. At the same time, the same can be said about the actors, with names like Laura Basuki, Shenina Cinnamon, Yusuf Mahardika,...

Korean production and sales powerhouse Barunson E&a is investing in and taking on international sales for upcoming Indonesian horror Sorop, produced by MD Pictures, and will launch the film in Busan’s Asian Contents & Film Market (Acfm) next week.

The film is written and directed by veteran Indonesian filmmaker Upi, known for her work on superhero action film Sri Asih, co-written and produced by Joko Anwar, as well as popular romcom franchise My Stupid Boss. It was co-written with SimpleMan, one of the leading creators on Indonesian Twitter, based on a viral horror thread.

The story revolves around siblings Hanif and Isti as they return to their hometown due to their uncle’s illness. After his death, their grief is disrupted by eerie events, including their uncle’s reappearance.

MD Pictures previously produced Indonesia’s highest-grossing film ever, Kkn Curse Of The Dancing Village, which was also based on a viral Twitter thread by SimpleMan.

Nobody 2 is now reloaded, cocked and shooting under the direction of Timo Tjahjanto, who is stepping in for the first film’s director, Ilya Naishuller. Bob Odenkirk returns as Hutch Mansell, the mild-manner family man who keeps his past as a government assassin under wraps. Connie Nielsen is also returning as Hutch’s wife, Becca, as well as Christopher Lloyd as Hutch’s father, a retired FBI agent. It was also announced a couple of months ago that Sharon Stone would be playing the main villain of the sequel.

Tjahjanto’s previous credits include May the Devil Take You, The Night Comes for Us, May the Devil Take You Too, The Big 4, and segments of the anthologies The ABCs of Death, V/H/S/2, Portals, and V/H/S/94. With Kimo Stamboel, he also co-directed the films Macabre, Killers, and Headshot. He is now promoting his new release, Netflix’s The Shadow Strays,...

An unrepentant maximalist whose genre movies are defined by the mad gluttony of someone born to leave it all on screen, Indonesian filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto is nothing if not easy to root for. There’s something indivisibly pure and precious about a guy who doesn’t know the meaning of the words “too much;” whose horror stuff (especially the “Safe Haven” short he contributed to “V/H/S/2”) goes so far beyond the pale that it makes a delicious meal out of its own bad taste, and whose orgiastic action fare is so hyper-violent that it makes you wonder if it’s possible to run out of CGI blood.

Alas, that muchness — beautiful as it might be in theory — is also something of a double-edged sword, and Tjahjanto still isn’t precise enough to use it without disfiguring his own vision in the process. Which is to say that, like “The Night Comes for Us” before it,...

Timo Tjahjanto, the Indonesian genre film director who commands a fiercely loyal following, has dropped a trailer for his upcoming action thriller “The Shadow Strays.”

Audiences at the Toronto International Film Festival will get the first look at the completed film as it screens in the festival’s Midnight Madness section. It will then upload to Netflix on Oct. 17.

According to a supplied synopsis, the film “follows the story of Codename 13, a young assassin who finds herself suspended after a mission gone wrong. During her downtime, she bonds with Monji, a boy who recently lost his mother to a crime syndicate. When Monji disappears, 13 embarks on a quest to find him, even if it means going against her mentor and the organization she belongs to, The Shadows.”

The film dives deep into themes of redemption and loyalty and is set against the backdrop of a brutal and unforgiving underworld.

Netflix has released the first teaser trailer and premiere date for Timo Tjahjanto’s hotly anticipated action film The Shadow Strays.

The Indonesian film tells the story of Codename 13, a young assassin who finds herself suspended after a mission gone wrong. The logline reads, “During her downtime, [13] bonds with Monji, a boy who recently lost his mother to a crime syndicate. When Monji disappears, 13 embarks on a quest to find him, even if it means going against her mentor and the organization she belongs to, “The Shadows.”

The Shadow Strays will hit the streamer on Oct .17, but first screen at the Toronto International Film Festival’s Midnight Madness sidebar this September.

The cast includes Aurora Ribero, Hana Malasan, Ali Fikry, Adipati Dolken and Andri Mashadi.

Already a huge name in Asian cinema, for his own work and for being one half of The Mo Brothers with friend and fellow Indonesian filmmaker Kimo Stamboel,...

U.K.-based sales and distribution company Blue Finch Films has acquired worldwide rights to Indonesian horror film “The Draft!” ahead of its international premiere at Austin’s Fantastic Fest.

Directed by Yusron Fuadi, the film follows five college students who spend a weekend at a remote villa, only to find themselves battling a powerful dark force. The project aims to subvert familiar horror tropes in its take on the cabin-in-the-woods subgenre.

Fuadi wrote the script alongside Anindita Suryarasmi, with Richard Hames Halstead and B.W. Purba Negara as co-writers. Munandar Aji and Fani Pramuditya serve as producers.

“‘The Draft!’ is my love letter to horror, sci-fi and fantasy film,” Fuadi said. “Being a love letter, naturally I put all my passion, anger, lust, protest and obsession to this slightly underrated and somewhat overdone genre.”

Mike Chapman of Blue Finch Films called the film “a thoroughly imaginative and original entry to...

Back in 2021, actor/comedian Bob Odenkirk – who is best known for playing the role of con artist turned lawyer Saul Goodman on the TV series on Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul – made the unexpected move of playing a retired government assassin in the action thriller Nobody. Doing the unexpected worked out, as Nobody was a success, making $57.5 million at the box office on a budget of $16 million. That was enough to get a sequel greenlit – and now that production has started on that sequel, we figured this was a good time to put together a list of Everything We Know About Nobody 2!

Script

Scripted by John Wick writer Derek Kolstad, Nobody saw Odenkirk playing Hutch Mansell, an office worker and family man who proves to be a capable fighter when facing off with a group of drunk criminals on a bus. He’s a bit too capable,...

If you are a horror fan then there is a big chance that you might have heard about the horror streaming service Shudder, and if you have its subscription you might be wondering what’s in store for you in August 2024. Don’t worry there is a host of new and old horror movies coming to the service in the upcoming month and we have listed the 7 best movies coming to Shudder in August 2024.

A Nightmare on Elm Street (August 1)

A Nightmare on Elm Street is a supernatural horror slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven. The 1984 film sees a maniacal serial killer, Freddy Krueger killing teenagers in their dreams and it follows the story of Nancy and her friends as they try to solve the mystery behind Freddy Krueger before he kills them too. A Nightmare on Elm Street stars Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund, Johnny Depp, John Saxon,...

Timo Tjahjanto, director of Nobody 2, is known for his brutal and bloody action thrillers. The Night Comes for Us features intense fight scenes and a surprisingly emotional father-daughter dynamic. Nobody 2, with Bob Odenkirk, promises to deliver action-packed thrills and emotional depth.

Before Timo Tjahjanto directs Bob Odenkirk in the highly anticipated Nobody 2, its the perfect time to check out the filmmakers criminally underrated action thriller on Netflix. With Better Call Sauls Odenkirk in the lead role, playing a seemingly ordinary suburban family guy who turns out to have a dark history of government wetwork, Nobody offered a fresh perspective on the action genre. A sequel to Nobody has been in the works since it arrived as a sleeper hit in 2021. Despite being released at the tail end of the pandemic, it made a minor splash at the box office.

In the past few months, work on Nobody 2 has finally gotten underway.

Unfortunately for all of us in the Northern hemisphere Summer is still heating up but cooler months are on the horizon. Shudder is also bringing some heat to small screens with three noteworthy feature films, televison and repertory programming.   Hell Hole is having its World Premiere at Fantasia this month then will stream across all territories on Shudder. You may want to refer to our links of coverage below of Kimo Stamboel's horror flick Dancing Village: The Curse Begins. And one of last year's more unique offerings from the festival circuit was Eddie Alcazar's Divinity. We can assure you there is nothing like it playing on Shudder that month.    The series Horror's Greatest looks at the best that horror has to offer, from around the...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Bob Odenkirk is back for more “Nobody” — this time with a different director.

The sequel to the 2021 action thriller will be helmed by Timo Tjahjanto, the Indonesian director known for “The Night Comes for Us” and “May the Devil Take You,” as well as the horror thrillers “V/H/S/2” and “V/H/S/94.” Tjahjanto is also one half of the filmmaking duo the Mo Brothers, alongside Kimo Stamboel. Together, they have written and directed the films “Macabre,” “Killers” and “Headshot.”

From Universal Pictures, “Nobody 2” will begin production in August. It’s set to premiere Aug. 15, 2025. Sources say Connie Nielsen will return as Becca Mansell, the wife to Odenkirk’s lead. No other casting has been announced.

“Nobody” screenwriter Derek Kolstad is on board to pen the sequel alongside Aaron Rabin, Odenkirk and Umair Aleem. Producers include Marc Provissiero of Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment, Braden Aftergood via Eighty Two Films and David Leitch and...

Two new zombie films – Kimo Stamboel’s Abadi Nan Jaya from Indonesia and Carlo Ledesma’s Outside from the Philippines – were among the new titles spotlighted at Netflix’s first showcase dedicated to Southeast Asia.

Abadi Nan Jaya is Netflix’s first Indonesian zombie title and the latest film directed by Indonesia’s horror master Kimo (Dancing Village: The Curse Begins) and produced by Edwin Nazir, marking their first collaboration with the streamer. It is currently in production near Yogyakarta in Central Java, with a global premiere due in 2025.

Abadi Nan Jaya is a working title that can be translated...

In less than a decade, Netflix has become a production powerhouse in South East Asia, and that fact was reinforced at a showcase the streamer held in the Indonesian capital Jakarta last week, where it showed off its latest batch of original local films and series.

Through aggressive and consistent investment in producing originals, Netflix has gained a market leading position in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, and these three countries were the focus of the showcase on June 13. Among the slew of announcements, trailers, first-look stills and clips, Netflix unfurled news on not one, but two zombie projects, a period sex comedy, Thai sci-fi, more horror and action from Indonesia, and a serial killer thriller that could find a global audience.

Read on for details on the biggest Sea titles that Netflix showcased.

Kimo Stamboel on the set of ‘Abadi Nan Jaya’

Abadi Nan Jaya (working title) (Indonesia)

Perhaps...

Kimo Stamboel's latest supernatural chiller, Dancing Village: The Curse Begins, opens in U.S. cinemas tomorrow, April 26th, from Lionsgate Pictures.  Despite having written about and supported Stamboel throughout their career, ever since their debut feature film Macabre, I've never truly spoken with the director. Until now. Through the wonder of technology no times zones, no geological challenges such at hemispheres and different continants got in our way this week as we sat down with them to talk about the new flick.  Watch as we go through a bit of background on the true story claims that the film makes. We explore a bit into the enigma that is one of the film's writers SimpleMan. Stamboel also shot the first SouthEast Asian film for Imax so...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Indonesian filmmaker Kimo Stamboel (Macabre, Headshot, The Queen of Black Magic) is back in the director’s chair for MD Pictures’ Badarawuhi Di Desa Penari (aka Dancing Village: The Curse Begins), a prequel to the Indonesian box office hit Kkn Curse Of The Dancing Village. Lionsgate brings the film to U.S. theaters on April 26.

While you wait, whet your appetite for gruesome horror with a gnarly exclusive clip from Dancing Village: The Curse Begins below, along with a gallery of bloody exclusive images.

In the horror prequel, “A shaman instructs Mila to return a mystical bracelet, the Kawaturih, to the ‘Dancing Village,’ a remote site on the easternmost tip of Java Island. Joined by her cousin, Yuda, and his friends Jito and Arya, Mila arrives on the island only to discover that the village elder has passed away, and that the new guardian, Mbah Buyut, isn’t present.

“Various...

Dancing Village: The Curse Begins is an Indonesian movie directed by Kimo Stamboel starring Maudy Effrosina, Aulia Sarah and Jourdy Pranata.

Dancing Village: The Curse Begins

It will be released on April 26th in the United States.

Plot

The story revolves around a mystical bracelet called the Kawaturih and a remote village on the eastern tip of Java Island, Indonesia. A young woman named Mila is entrusted with returning the bracelet to this village, known as the Dancing Village. Upon arrival, things get strange as the village elder is deceased and the new guardian is missing. Mysterious events unfold, and Mila is entangled with a mythical being named Badarawuhi who seems to rule the village. Ignoring warnings, Mila disrupts the village’s safety, leading to a terrifying ritual to choose the “Dawuh,” a cursed soul bound to dance eternally.

The post The movie “Dancing Village: The Curse Begins” will be...

Indonesian filmmaker Kimo Stamboel (Macabre, Headshot, The Queen of Black Magic) is back in the director’s chair for MD Pictures’ Badarawuhi Di Desa Penari (aka Dancing Village: The Curse Begins). A new trailer for the Kkn Curse Of The Dancing Village Indonesian horror prequel gets creepy.

Lionsgate releases Dancing Village: The Curse Begins in select theaters on April 26, 2024.

In the horror prequel, “a shaman instructs Mila to return a mystical bracelet, the Kawaturih, to the ‘Dancing Village,’ a remote site on the easternmost tip of Java Island. Joined by her cousin, Yuda, and his friends Jito and Arya, Mila arrives on the island only to discover that the village elder has passed away, and that the new guardian, Mbah Buyut, isn’t present. Various strange and eerie events occur while awaiting Mbah Buyut’s return, including Mila being visited by Badarawuhi, a mysterious, mythical being who rules the village.

"Don't stop dancing." Lionsgate has revealed an official US trailer for horror thriller from Indonesia titled Dancing Village: The Curse Begins, from filmmaker Kimo Stamboel, one half of The Mo Brothers. It's set for release later in April after first opening last week in Indonesia and other South East Asia countries. This village still holds many mysteries... Piece by piece the mystery is revealed, including the terror of the most feared entity, namely, Badarawuhi. A group of students want to do Kkn and meet elders. After living in the village for days, one by one the students experience unexpected events. It turns out Mila was chosen by the snake demon to be a dancer in his world. Mila's spirit is trapped in another world, while her body is helpless. Will she become the new "Dawuh", a cursed soul forced to dance for the rest of her life? Starring Aulia Sarah,...

Whether you love or hate them, remakes have been around for a long time, and they’re not slowing down anytime soon. An update on The Crow is set to arrive this summer, with Hollywood’s version of Speak No Evil not far behind, just as two upcoming examples.

While not all remakes can hold a candle to the original, there’s been no shortage of fantastic movies that reworked genre favorites in thrilling new ways. Some of which even managed to eclipse the original classics, like 1986’s The Fly or 1982’s The Thing.

This week’s streaming picks are dedicated to horror remakes that set themselves apart from the source material, either through expanded storytelling or heightened, visceral horror.

Here’s where you can stream them this week.

For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.

The Blob – Tubi

Chuck Russell and Frank Darabont’s remake of...

Indonesian filmmaker Kimo Stamboel (Macabre, Headshot, The Queen of Black Magic) is back in the director’s chair for MD Pictures’ Badarawuhi Di Desa Penari (aka Dancing Village: The Curse Begins), a prequel to the record-breaking hit Kkn Curse Of The Dancing Village that will be the first production in Southeast Asia to be filmed with IMAX-certified digital cameras.

Ahead of the film’s wide IMAX release across Indonesia, which begins April 10, Deadline has announced this morning that Lionsgate has scooped up the domestic rights.

“This collaboration represents a leap forward for the Indonesian movie industry on the global stage. We believe that entertainment transcends language and cultural barriers, and we are confident that through this partnership we will be able to showcase the richness of Indonesian culture to the American audience and beyond,” said Manoj Punjabi, CEO and founder of MD Pictures.

“With this exciting collaboration with MD Pictures,...

Lionsgate has landed domestic U.S. rights to Badarawuhi Di Desa Penari (Dancing Village: The Curse Begins), the prequel to Indonesia’s highest-grossing film, Kkn Curse of the Dancing Village.

Produced by Indonesian studio MD Pictures, the film will have its stateside premiere on April 4 in Los Angeles. Dancing Village: The Curse Begins is the first filmed-for-IMAX movie ever produced in Southeast Asia, and is also one of five filmed-for-imax productions worldwide this year.

The film is directed by Kimo Stamboel and stars Aulia Sarah, Maudy Effrosina, Jourdy Pranata and Claresta Taufan. The film is set in an Indonesian village where a mysterious presence, Badarawuhi, is terrorizing the community.

“This collaboration represents a leap forward for the Indonesian movie industry on the global stage. We believe that entertainment transcends language and cultural barriers, and we are confident that through this partnership we will be able to showcase the richness...

Indonesian filmmaker Kimo Stamboel is back in the director’s chair for Badarawuhi Di Desa Penari, a prequel to the record-breaking hit Kkn Curse Of The Dancing Village that is itself set to make history in Southeast Asia.

Deadline reports, “Indonesia’s MD Pictures has announced that Badarawuhi Di Desa Penari is the first production in Southeast Asia to be filmed with IMAX-certified digital cameras.”

The film “will receive a wide Imax release across Indonesia on April 10, 2024 during the Eid holiday period. It will feature Imax-exclusive Expanded Aspect Ratio, with some scenes expanding to fill the entirety of the screen and maximizing the viewing experience.”

“The film is again set in a remote Indonesian village where a mysterious local entity is terrorizing the local population,” Deadline also details in today’s exclusive report.

Aulia Sarah, Maudy Effrosina, Jourdy Pranata and Claresta Taufan star.

Christopher Tillman, Imax VP of International Development and Distribution,...

Exclusive: Indonesia’s MD Pictures has announced that its horror prequel Badarawuhi Di Desa Penari is the first production in Southeast Asia to be filmed with Imax-certified digital cameras.

The film, which is a prequel to record-breaking hit Kkn Curse Of The Dancing Village, will receive a wide Imax release across Indonesia on April 10, 2024 during the Eid holiday period. It will feature Imax-exclusive Expanded Aspect Ratio, with some scenes expanding to fill the entirety of the screen and maximizing the viewing experience.

Produced by MD Pictures’ founder Manoj Punjabi, the prequel is directed by leading Indonesian horror and action filmmaker Kimo Stamboel, taking the reins from Awi Suryadi who directed the first film. The ensemble cast includes Aulia Sarah, Maudy Effrosina, Jourdy Pranata and Claresta Taufan, among others. The film is again set in a remote Indonesian village where a mysterious local entity is terrorizing the local population.

Indonesia’s cinema admissions grew by 14.5% year-on-year to reach 114.5 million in 2023, compared to 100 million the previous year, according to local box office analyst Bicara Box Office. That figure puts the market around 24% below the pre-pandemic figure of 152 million admissions in 2019.

Despite having a slow start to the year, local productions picked up the pace from September onwards and ended 2023 with 53.3 million admissions for a 48% market share, according to Bicara Box Office data.

In 2022, Indonesian films racked up 57 million admissions and a 56.5% market share, a year of fewer Hollywood releases, which also saw the record-breaking success of MD Pictures’ Kkn Di Desa Penari, which raked in 9.23 million admissions to become Indonesia’s biggest local film of all time (the film was also re-released in an extended version at the end of 2022 and the two versions combined pulled in more than 10 million admissions).

MD Pictures also produced the top Indonesian film in...

Lila Aviles’ “Totem” has won the global feature award at the annual Jakarta Film Week.

The film previously won awards at the Berlin, Hong Kong, Durban and Beijing film festivals.

The direction award for best Indonesian feature film went to Jeremias Nyangoen’s directorial debut “Women of Rote Island.” The film bowed at Busan earlier in October.

The series of the year award went to “Teluh Darah,” directed by Kimo Stamboel, and the Jakarta Film Fund award was won by “Rabu yang Bahagia,” directed by Candra Aditya. The global short award for best international short film went to “Things Unheard Of,” directed by Ramazan Kılıç and the global animation award was won by “Mortelli, A Hopeless Case,” directed by Ben Fernández.

In the event’s Producers Lab program, the best project award was presented to Dewangkoro Rinugroho for his film “Partus,” which will receive a development grant from Indonesia’s Ministry of Education,...

The Javaian phrase Sewu Dino means a thousand days. The latest Indonesian horror film is titled the same, and it is the story of a thousand days worth of damnation for one ill-fated character. It has all the usual tropes of any Indonesian horror, and if you are a fan of this particular sub-genre, then you would probably have a pretty great time watching it. However, while I thought Kimo Stamboel’s horror film was cool enough, at least forty percent of it seems quite confusing and utterly pointless. While the film manages to resolve the central conflict, a lot of other things are left up to your own interpretation. Unfortunately, there aren’t many breadcrumbs to follow. We are still going to make an attempt at dissecting the film, especially the ending, which I thought was strangely abrupt.

Spoilers Ahead

Plot Synopsis: What Happens In The Movie?

Sewu Dino...

John Wick has set a new standard for action movies, inspiring numerous films that follow its template of assassin anti-heroes with mythological backstories and intense action scenes. Movies like Sisu, Violent Night, and Kate successfully incorporate the John Wick formula into different settings.

John Wick has raised the bar for modern action movies, and some have really risen to the challenge of meeting its standards. Keanu Reeves was first introduced as the eponymous anti-hero in 2014's John Wick, in which the legendary Baba Yaga comes out of retirement to avenge the killing of his beloved dog. John Wick would spawn three sequels (with a fourth said to be in development), multiple spin-offs, and set an overall new standard for action movies to aspire to.

The John Wick action movie template is malleable enough to be applicable to different settings or scenarios, but a few key elements are essential. These include...

Indonesian genre specialist Timo Tjahjanto has begun production on “The Shadow Strays,” a new action film project.

Tjahjanto is one half of a writing-directing pair with Kimo Stamboel that are colloquially known as the Mo Brothers and previously delivered “Headshot.” However, it was as a solo director that Tjahjanto was signed to a multi-film deal with Netflix in 2022. He delivered his first picture under that arrangement later that year. “The Big 4” debuted in Netflix’s non-English language top ten.

Production of the new title is handled by Frontier Pictures with Wicky V. Olindo and Anne P. Ralie named as producers. The completion date has not been revealed.

Tjahjanto has assembled a kicking ensemble cast, many of whom previously appeared in “The Big 4.” The cast includes Aurora Ribero, Hana Malasan (“Ben & Jody”), Ali Fikri, Adipati Dolken, Kristo Immanuel (“The Big 4”), Andri Mashadi, Taskya Namya (“Waktu Maghrib”), Agra Piliang,...

Indonesian movies had racked up close to 55 million admissions in their home market as of December 18, according to local box office analyst Bicara Box Office, overtaking the previous record of 51.9 million admissions set in the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

Awi Suryadi’s Kkn Di Desa Penari, produced by MD Pictures, was topping Indonesia’s year-end chart, as of mid-December, after raking in 9.23 million admissions during its release over the Eid holidays in April/May.

The folk horror tale, about a group of students who unwittingly provoke angry spirits during a trip to the countryside, has also smashed the record for biggest local film of all time in Indonesia, beating Warkop Dki Reborn: Jangkrik Boss Part 1, which pulled in 6.86 million admissions in 2016. It’s also the second biggest film overall in Indonesian box office history, behind only Disney’s Avengers: Endgame, with 11.3 million admissions in 2019.

While Indonesian cinema chains don’t share...

Indonesian action comedy The Big 4, directed by Timo Tjahjanto, has entered Netflix’s Global Non-English Film chart at number two for the week December 12-18 with 16.4 million hours viewed.

The Netflix Original has also entered the Top 10 Country Film list in 53 countries, including Indonesia where it is the number one film. Spanish drama God’s Crooked Lines, directed by Oriol Paulo, is currently the number one global non-English film in its second week of release.

“What a great honor to have my work recognized across the globe, a particularly Indonesian story that’s close to my heart,” said Tjahjanto. “It is thrilling to witness how the story can resonate and travel the world, which is made possible by Netflix.”

The Big 4 revolves around a by-the-book female detective who investigates the death of her father and follows a clue to a remote tropical island, only to find out his true...

The Big Four is an action/adventure/comedy movie directed by Timo Tjahjanto starring Abimana Aryasatya, Putri Marino, Arie Kriting, Lutesha and Kristo Immanuel.

An entertaining, action-packed movie that has the virtue of not taking itself too seriously. Two hour and half of over-the-top action and comedic moments.

Premise

A by-the-book female detective teams up with four down-on-their-luck assassins to investigate her father’s murder.

About the Movie

In the first scene a child is left in the care of an orphanage, and we will soon find out that it is in fact an organ farm. What follows is a blood-fest of action, with kicking and punching, shooting and heads being blown off. And just like that, the tone is set in this feature about a team of vigilantes trained by the Big Boss, Petrus (the father), who will combat any and all injustices.

The Big 4 (2022)

The excess action and violence,...

Indonesian adaptations of hit series “Call My Agent” and “Doctor Foster” are among six series that are part of the Disney+ Hotstar push into the territory.

“Hubungi Agen Gue!” (“The Talent Agency”), the adaptation of “Call My Agent,” was the new title revealed on Wednesday at the Disney Content Showcase held at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands convention center. Industry veteran Mira Lesmana serves as showrunner for the series that follows four agents in an Indonesian talent agency as they struggle to save their business following the death of the company’s founder.

Stars include Donny Damara, Hannah Al Rashid, Yoga Pratama and Lydia Kandou and each episode will feature A-listers guest-starring as themselves in keeping with the global format. The series is produced by Lesmana, Riri Riza and Sk Global Entertainment and directed by Teddy Soeriaatmadja. It has wrapped principal photography, Lesmana said.

Also revealed was a second season for “Wedding Agreement.

There are typically three destinations for a short horror film. Most of the time, they stay short and sweet. Another common outcome for these quick flicks is their joining others in compilation movies (also known as “frankenthologies”). As for the last and most fortunate fate, a short might be turned into something bigger.

There is a long history of horror shorts being made into full-length features. The Evil Dead, Saw, Mama, The Babadook and Lights Out are just some prime examples. And with Parker Finn‘s Smile (based on Laura Hasn’t Slept) continuing the tradition in theaters this weekend, now is a good time to check out other similar transformations.

Larry (Come Play)

In Jacob Chase’s effective short Larry, the attendant in a paid parking lot gets the scare of his life when he spots something ghastly one night. Paramount later gave Chase the opportunity to direct...

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The Busan International Film Festival has unveiled a selection of nine series for its On Screen section, a program launched last year that highlights innovative series created by TV producers and streaming platforms.

This year’s selection, which has grown from three titles to nine, will include original series from Disney+, Netflix and Tving, the streaming service run by Korean entertainment giant Cj Enm — all of which will screen as either world premieres or Asia premieres.

Netflix’s Somebody (2022) is the first drama series from veteran Korean filmmaker Jung Ji-woo. A mystery thriller, it follows four women and a man whose lives become entangled through a social media app. Glitch, also a Netflix original comedy-thriller, is the latest collaboration between Korean director Roh Deok, who is known for such works as Very Ordinary Couple (2013), and screenwriter Gin Han-sai, famous for the acclaimed series...

Prolific Japanese film director Miike Takashi and Indonesian genre specialist Kimo Stamboel will be among the star names in the ‘On Screen’ section of the Busan International Film Festival given over to TV series.

Miike has made “Connect,” a Korean-language crime fantasy thriller about a man who is kidnapped and has one of his eyes removed by a gang of organ harvesters and transplanted into the body of a notorious serial killer. The unwilling donor now has terrible visions as he witnesses terrifying attacks on the residents of Seoul. The show was written by Nakamura Masaru and Heo Dam (“Monstrum”).

It features Korean talent including Jung Haein in the lead role and Ko Kyungpyo as the serial killer, and Kim Hyejun as the mysterious Irang.

The 6-part, 45 mins per episode series is produced by Studio Dragon and is to be presented as a Star Original on the Disney+ streaming platform.

Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (October 5-14) has announced its full line-up, including opening film Scent Of Wind, directed by Iran’s Hadi Mohaghegh, while Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Chiu-Wai will be honoured as Asian Filmmaker Of The Year.

Leung has credits including Wong Kar Wai’s In The Mood For Love and Happy Together, as well as the Infernal Affairs trilogy, and more recently, Disney’s Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings.

Japanese filmmaker Kei Ishikawa’s A Man, which premiered in Venice, has been set as Busan’s closing film. Opening film, Scent Of Wind, revolves around a disabled man living with his handicapped son in a remote Iranian village. Mohaghegh previously won Busan’s New Currents Award in 2015 for Immortal.

The festival will screen 354 films including 89 world premieres and 13 international premieres, with 100 seating capacity in cinemas, a full program of parties, events and...

Tony Leung Chiu-wai, the Hong Kong star of “In The Mood For Love” and Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” has been named Asian Filmmaker of the Year by the Busan International Film Festival. Leung will collect his award at the festival’s opening ceremony on Oct. 5. 2022.

The festival will open with a screening of “Scent of Wind” by Hagi Mohaghegh. The Iranian director previously won the 2015 New Currents competition in Busan with his second feature “Immortal.”

The festival will close with “A Man,” from Japan’s Ishikawa Kei. The title premiered this week at the Venice film festival in the Orrizonti section.

Busan organizers said that the festival will play a total of 243 films (features and shorts) from 71 countries and territories. These include 89 world premieres and 13 international premieres.

After two years of disruptions the festival will operate largely normally. This includes a red carpet opening ceremony,...

One of the greatest exploits in thehHorror genre over the last few years has been the explosion of talent and quality emerging from Indonesian directors getting their films out to a wider audience. The likes of Timo Tjahjanto, Kimo Stamboel, Rizal Mantovani, and Awi Suryadi, among others, have provided local and international success on an unparalleled level. None of that would be possible, though, if not for director Joko Anwar’s celebrated launch of the movement in his spectacular remake of “Satan’s Slaves.”

After their mother comes down with a mysterious illness, a family including the Father (Bront Palarae), and his kids Rini (Tara Basro), Tony, (Endy Arfian) Bondi (Nasar Annuz), and Ian (M. Adhiyat) try to get by in life despite the strain it puts on the family. Once she finally passes away, the family pays their respects and tries to move on but finds themselves continually haunted...

(Welcome to Scariest Scene Ever, a column dedicated to the most pulse-pounding moments in horror with your tour guides, horror experts Matt Donato and Ariel Fisher. In this edition: Matt pays homage to Satan's Slaves — one of the scariest horror movies out of Indonesia. Meanwhile, Ariel jumps several feet in the air.)

The rise of Indonesian horror cinema is predominantly thanks to three formidable filmmaking forces: Timo Tjahjanto, Kimo Stamboel, and Joko Anwar. If you're unfamiliar, I highly recommend blowing through their collective catalog of solo projects and collaborations from "Macabre" to "Impetigore."

They've adapted video games, stunned festival audiences, and...

The post The Scariest Scene in Satan's Slaves Will Have You Running for Safety appeared first on /Film.

Over the last decade, Asian horror cinema has become a major cultural export that has breached the international markets, as more exposure than ever before has shown off the immense talent making genre films over the years. Getting a chance to see the work of many different individuals in this part of the world has highlighted the work of Yeon Sang-ho, Joko Anwar, Kimo Stamboel, Timo Tjahjanto and Yoshihiro Nishimura, to name just a few, from out of the shadows of their home countries to the world at large.

Several trends emerged throughout the decade as time rolled on. The first is the South Korean onslaught of talent that emerged where the country ascended to the top of the genre market, and international acclaim and awards followed. They proved time and again that they were developing a core of talented and creative technicians that churned out some of the most...

New to Shudder this week is the Indonesian horror film The Queen of Black Magic. Written by Joko Anwar and directed by Kimo Stamboel, this film joins the ranks of Shudder’s other amazing Indonesian offerings and offers viewers an experience that is both horrifying and intriguing.

Raised in a rural orphanage, three (now grown) friends, Anton (Tanta Ginting), Hanif (Ario Bayu), and Jefri (Miller Khan) return when they hear that the health of the proprietor is failing. Along with each other, Mr. Bandi (Yayu A.W. Unru) is the closest thing to family that they had as children. They each bring along their families as a way to bridge the gap between childhood and adulthood, and to say goodbye to the man who raised them.

While on the surface, the orphanage holds many good memories for the men, it also houses secrets upon secrets. Some from the past, thought to be deeply buried,...

Joko Anwar’s Satan’s Slaves, both a prequel and update to the 1981 Indonesian horror film, made international waves thanks to its potent chills and atmosphere. Anwar tackles the modernization of another Indonesian cult horror film, 1981’s The Queen of Black Magic, this time penning the script with filmmaker Kimo Stamboel (Headshot, Macabre) helming. Stamboel, no stranger to extreme bloodletting, delivers […]...

Stars: Ario Bayu, Hannah Al Rashid, Adhisty Zara, Muzakki Ramdhan, Ari Irham, Ade Firman Hakim, Sheila Dara Aisha, Tanta Gintin, Miller Khan, Imelda Therinne | Written by Joko Anwar | Directed by Kimo Stamboel

I am slightly ashamed to admit that I haven’t seen many Indonesian horror films at all. It is something I need to rectify soon because I have heard good things about many films. So where better place to start than the new to Shudder movie The Queen of Black Magic.

With a slightly convoluted story, where we see past residents of an orphanage return to discover that someone is holding a grudge and now wants them dead. But it’s a movie that really doesn’t hold back when it comes to many elements of horror. None more so than gore. There’s a lot of it! It never feels over done or too much and it continuously impresses.

If you thought last year's Shudder releases were impressive, wait until you see what they have in store for 2021, including eleven weeks of movie premieres. Here's the official press release, detailing all of their upcoming releases that include The Dark and the Wicked, Violation, and many more:

New York, NY – January 14, 2021 – Shudder, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, today announced its unbeatable lineup of eleven new Shudder Original and Shudder Exclusive films set to premiere on the service over the next eleven weeks: Hunted, The Queen of Black Magic, A Nightmare Wakes, After Midnight, Shook, The Dark & the Wicked, Lucky, Stay Out of the F**king Attic, Slaxx, Koko-di Koko-da and Violation that together span five countries on three continents and range from dark comedy to survival horror to period psychological thrillers. The eleven films represent vibrant, creative passion driving independent and international genre cinema today,...