The Corpse Washer

The problem with Indonesian and Hollywood horror is their over-dependence on ineffective, predictable jump scares. Atmospheric horror is something the Indonesian have always failed to execute, despite the country's rich cultural tradition and beautiful landscapes.

The lazy use of conventional camera angles is almost as disappointing as the wheat flour on the ghosts. It is almost as if the film-makers aren't horror fans at all.

Story-wise, from the get go it was a bit too obvious, with the nosey ladies bickering over widowhood. Lela being tasked with cleaning the corpse completely unaided also does not reflect the reality of a typical Southeast Asian village-what happened to fardhu kifayah and gotong-royong? There's always that one monosyllabic, antisocial guy/gal to inject a feeling of mystery, and I'm really really tired of seeing this.

The only fresh element is how the evil spirits were portrayed to seem unfazed by the quranic verses and loud chanting of the mourners; a trope more commonly seen in western horror films. I imagine this would create some form of controversy among the more conservative audiences in places like Malaysia.

At least Indonesia is moving away from softcore porno in their horror films.

Another disappointment, unfortunately.

CORPSE WASHER = PEMANDI JENAZAH.

I read through few reviews here, (there was even a wrong movie review that came here, haha - from pemandi jenazah somehow one person reviewed for isteri penggali kubur? (gravediggers' wife) 😂) I'll try to review without giving spoilers.

For starters, any ghost movie, IF WATCHED WITH COMPANY, WILL NOT BE SCARY.

I watched this alone late at night. It gave me many goosebumps moments, for which i rate this movie positively. As for the plot, it is about a girl named Lela, whose mother (Siti) is a Pemandi Jenazah for their small village. Siti inherited the job from her own mother, and intend to pass the torch to her daughter Lela, as she takes pride in doing that job of: cleaning a person who just left this world, before the soul goes to meet God. Siti also seems to have some supernatural gifts that she can sense some unnatural forces. Lela doesnt want to become a corpse washer, however Siti insists, because there are no other corpse washer in that village. (for this part it sounds stupid tho, because in Islam, this is fardu kifayah, where the community has the responsibility to do that, not just putting the burden on one person and others just chill. So that itself, is misleading from what Islam teaches. Heck, even the son doesn't want to bathe the mother, thats really sad, even tho its just movie.) Story mystery starts with Siti being disturbed and as she expected, Ida dies in horrific way. What happens next is for you to go and watch in Netflix. As I've said, if you watch this with company, it'll not be scary. But sit alone, and watch at night, you'll sure be scared, CONFIRMED!

"Pemandi Jenazah" (The Corpse Washer) is a deeply emotional and contemplative film that tackles themes of death, tradition, and the human condition. Set in a small Indonesian village, it explores the life of a young man who works as a body washer, preparing the dead for their final rites. Through his work, the film delves into the rituals and complexities of Indonesian Muslim culture, touching on personal grief, spiritual connection, and societal expectations.

The cinematography is beautiful, capturing the simplicity of rural life while juxtaposing it with the profound and often heavy subject matter. The performances are nuanced, particularly the lead actor, who brings a raw and authentic portrayal of a man struggling with his role in life and his personal loss.

While the film is slow-paced and reflective, it may not be for everyone due to its heavy, introspective nature. However, for viewers who appreciate films that explore life's deeper questions, "Pemandi Jenazah" offers a rewarding, thought-provoking experience.

Watched this with a bunch of friends with no expectations coming into it, and it absolutely met those expectations. This film does nothing interesting to me and in times kinda drags on with the more yappy scenes. While I do appreciate it tries to add an aspect of mystery to the story it's attempts just ends up messing up the pacing of it a little and I do find it to be a bit out of nowhere at times. However, credit where credit's due I did enjoy the more graphic scenes towards the end as it was the least dull part about the horror of the film and, I do appreciate the message the film tries to send. Besides, I can't be too harsh on the film as I did find it to be decently watchable and not too bad in the end.

Lela works with her mom Siti as corpse washer before the funeral. Lela is not happy to continue this family profession while her brother has taken up a different job. When a friend of Siti dies mysteriously, she is disturbed by it. This is followed by Siti's death which shook Lela and she realizes, these mysterious deaths were actually murders. As she decides to investigate, another lady dies and all of them belong to her mother's friend group. With families refusing for police interference, Lela takes it upon herself to gather the evident to prove these deaths as murders and to put an end to it. Will she be able to succeed in saving the village, forms rest of the story.

The film's core strenght lies in how it uses the women characters and the crucial moment in the film is the gossip spread by them which instantly elevated the story. Setting aside the supernatural angle, the narrative is kept grounded with occasional jump scares and keeping the police away looked deliberate. The performances were good enough and I wish there was more to these women. The flashback is only brief and we never get to fully know the story of Nur. Probably that would have made the film more generic with the good vs evil angle but atleast it would have answered the major question rather leaving it unanswered. The Corpse Washer makes for a decent watch aided by good performance by the lead actress.