Noticias

Many say that belief in supernatural beings stems from the deep-rooted fears of the community, a concept woven into Indonesian culture for generations. In rural villages and small hamlets, these beliefs are even more intense, where tales of spirits and curses still hold a strong influence. This idea is at the heart of Rizal Mantovani’s new film Jurnal Risa by Risa Saraswati (2024), based on a story by Risa Saraswati. The film follows Prinsa, a young girl who finds herself possessed by a vengeful spirit after daring to speak her name. “Jurnal Risa” explores the dark, eerie side of folklore, showing just how real these fears can feel.

The film opens with a professor discussing existentialism, a philosophy that places humans at the center of existence. To truly “exist,” he explains, humans must grasp that they are the only visible beings in their reality. But that doesn’t mean the...

I have seen my fair share of Indonesian horror films over the last year, and I think I can say Jurnal Risa might be one of the better ones I’ve come across so far. The film isn’t particularly unique in what it does, but maybe it’s because of the presentation and the fact that it’s made by the leading lady of the film that makes it somewhat more worthy of your time. The film follows a mother, podcaster, and content creator, Risa Saraswati, who is currently documenting a possession after she invited a woman onto her podcast and things went horribly wrong. Risa comes from a family of psychics, and while she used to be afraid of the “I see dead people” scenario, she quickly realized that the entities were actually kind people and decided to document her experiences through writing and her podcast. One day...