The Corpse Washer

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!

The Corpse Washer follows familiar tropes and ideas but introduces some unique elements and social commentary. Lela, a young mortician, is unhappy with her life and the work she inherited from her family, especially since her mother insists on keeping it as a tradition. After her mother suddenly dies, Lela notices something odd about her body while washing it, unraveling secrets from the past with dire consequences.

The premise is simple yet intriguing, featuring some interesting elements. Lela and the other characters are mostly likable, and the actors deliver commendable performances. The acting is a bit uneven at times, especially from minor characters, but it's not too distracting.

The film heavily relies on jump scares and rarely takes the time to build a tense atmosphere. Instead, it bombards viewers with scary faces and loud noises. To its credit, the makeup and effects are well done, preventing it from feeling like a low-budget jumpscare fest. However, the movie doesn't fully reach its potential and could have been more engaging.

It's a decent watch, with a reasonable 107-minute runtime, so you won't feel like you've wasted over two hours if it doesn't fully click for you. If you enjoy Indonesian cinema, especially horror, you might want to give it a try, though it's unlikely to leave a lasting impression. [5,6/10]

Its predictable plot and clichéd elements. While lacking originality, it is also comes with typical jump scares, try to creating an eerie atmosphere. Performances are decent, but the dialogue feels unnatural. Despite its flaws, it delivers passable horror entertainment for those seeking straightforward thrills.

The cinematography enhances the ominous atmosphere, though the characters and dialogue fall into familiar territory. Overall, it's an okay choice for a movie night at home.

It you are looking for mind bended or unique storyline, then this is not the movie you are looking for. The lack of suspense is quite disappointing.

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.

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.