Roh

I feel pretty down the middle on this one. I was invested, but maybe not riveted. It delivers the necessities competently, never feeling derivative, but not totally something you haven't seen before. I couldn't always see where it was going, but I wasn't that surprised when it got there. It's the pinnacle of the slow burn, taking it's time but properly peppering in some shockingly morose scenes, and definitely not shying away from violence towards children. The cinematography is lovely, though that generally just amounts to a multitude of slow shots of the jungle, the droning music hammers home the moody atmosphere.

I don't wanna come off too harshly, it's clearly an indie picture due to how sparse it all is, but it looks great and the performances are excellent. Basically everyone involved did good at their jobs, which is a pretty solid accomplishment for first time director Emir Ezwan. The minimalism is a bit of a patience tester, so it'll be down to individual tastes how effective that is. If you're a fan of folk horror and stuff like The Witch, this might be up your alley. It feels like a wise old sage spinning a dark tail of the evils of the old world, delivered at a steady, deliberate pace with very little light at the end of the tunnel.

A Malaysian folktale horror that took place in the wood. This was quite a creepy atmosphere due to the slow-pace and secluded area. The first half really unnerved me but also kept me interested in the mystery.

However, towards the end I just realized how convoluted the story was. Maybe it's just me, but it shouldn't be this confusing.

Overall, it's still a creepy one. 6.5/10.

One of the best supernatural horror of the year. Without a heavy plot and special effects, this film rellies a lot on the jungle. Great cinematography and creepy atmosphere. A well done slow burn horror.

This one is proof that you don't need a big budget to make a quality disturbing film.

The atmospheric chill is effective in rendering dread. The cinematography is also rather beautiful.

The lighting is good, and one can see that it does not rely on artificially muted illumination to create the ambiance. The audience can often see the whole background of most scenes due to effective light work.

The quality of the cast is unfortunately quite inconsistent, with some actors being so movingly embedded in the script in one scene and then falter in the next. The younger actors could be forgiven for lack of experience but the more decorated ones may want to see it for themselves the granular lack of coherence in their micro expressions.

The story itself too can benefit from some clarity. The mysterious woman at the end really struggles with trying to sound prophetic with her riddles, thanks to this incorrigible need to impart some religious wisdom, which is a typical affliction besetting the sanctimonious Malaysian horrorscape.

It's like giving someone who can't cook all the best ingredients and the best modern Kitchen but the person doesn't know how to cook. The movie looks beautiful and the pacing is nice, acting also good, but the the ending is just horrible. Watched with family and friends but no one understood the movie and we all felt like we were taken for a ride. The pay off for waiting and following the movie till the end is not there. Could have been the best Malaysian movie but ended up making the audience angry.