Enough to be chilling for about half of its entirety. It's not original but it is scary. Kind of went a bit off track with the zombies and a few other unnecessary things but overall it was good! Had some sort of The Ring and The Grudge feeling to it but nevertheless it's a good option if you're tired of the crap Hollywood has been offering lately in the horror category. Not the best, but decent!
96 Reviews
Poltergeist Ringu Thriller Diller...
Xstal26 August 2020
With many costume changes for Rini, must have had a big wardrobe or was prone to spillage. That said, a visit to Indonesia pays dividends in a genuinely jumpy Horror film with great special effects that pinches plots a plenty: only to be expected living next to a cemetery, but just about gets away with it.
much better than the original movie
hiraishinnojutsu29 September 2017
Warning: Spoilers
but still, I'm confused by some matters in this movie : why the grandma committed suicide by jumping into a well, what or who the evil spirit resembling the mother was (and why was she in the house anyway if in the end, the army of the dead were the ones who did all the final work?), what the zombies want from the family (I mean, they already got that little devil spawn brat with them, but then, why the hell were they still attacking the rest of the family? wasn't the zombies' purpose already be achieved by having the last child of the Satan's slave woman on their side ?), how granny's friend (the one who wrote mystery magazine and helped the rest of he family escape from the zombies, sorry for forgetting his name) escape from the attempted murder by the Satan's cult members, etc. had this confusion of mine been answered in the movie right away before I left the theater, I would have been giving this movie a straight 8 out of 10 instead of 7. This movie started as "the conjuring" or "insidious" then ended up as an amalgamation between "the omen" and "the walking dead" (the walking dead part is from the original movie though). but still, this is by far, one of the best and scariest Indonesian horror movie ever produced by my own country with the international standard of jump scare scenes, disturbing background music, unexpectable plot twist, and the kill bill inspired blood splash on some of the death scenes. not a bad movie by the Indonesian Quentin Tarantino, Joko Anwar, who wrote and directed the movie from the beginning to the end. I wish there would be much more of this kind of high-quality movie coming out from Indonesia (though it doesn't always have to be horror, we already did a very good job with "The Raid" and "The Raid 2" despite the nationality of the director).
Scary and Creepy
claudio_carvalho31 August 2018
The family of Rini (Tara Basro) is financially broken and she lives with her father (Bront Palarae), her mother (Ayu Laksmi) that is ill, her grandmother (Elly D. Luthan) that is crippled, and her brothers Tony (Endy Arfian), Bondi (Nasar Annuz) and the mute six year-old Ian (M. Adhiyat) in an old house in the countryside nearby a cemetery. Her mother, who was a successful singer, is dying from a mysterious disease and her father does not have money to support the family. When her mother dies, her father needs to travel to the city to sell the house and weird things happen in the house. The skeptical Rini befriends Hendra (Dimas Aditya), son of the religious Ustadz (Arswendi Nasution), and they learn that her mother was infertile and joined a cult that worships Satan to have children. And now, when Ian will be seven, they will take the boy with them. What can they do to protect Ian?
"Pengabdi Setan", a.k.a. "Satan´s Slaves", is a scary and creepy Indonesian-South Korean horror film. The storyline of a cult of infertile women that worships Satan slightly recalls "Rosemary´s Baby" and has flaws, but the movie makes the viewer startle in many scenes. The acting is also reasonable and does not disappoint. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): Not Available
"Pengabdi Setan", a.k.a. "Satan´s Slaves", is a scary and creepy Indonesian-South Korean horror film. The storyline of a cult of infertile women that worships Satan slightly recalls "Rosemary´s Baby" and has flaws, but the movie makes the viewer startle in many scenes. The acting is also reasonable and does not disappoint. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): Not Available
The end twist or is it just me?
ppoiuytre26 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I don't know if I get the end twist right with this movie. If it's how I think than I really liked it, otherwise I'm not sure. Some elements reminded me of Polanski's Rosemary's Baby. (spoiler) The religious neighbour was kind of Hutch, trying to help but get killed at the end. And the dancing couple at the final reminded me of the Cassevetes. And of course the cult and the seed..
So this is how I think the twist was:
The cult can only get Ian if the family accepts to give him willingly. And this is what the family did believing he is satan's child.
Budiman came to rescue the family at the end, but the last time we saw Budiman he was trapped in his house being attacked. So the guy in the truck was maybe not even Budiman himself, the letter was fake and the family was tricked to believe Ian is satan's kid and they let the cult harvest him away (even though the father was shouting he will never ever give his kid away the night before, which is nicely tragic.)
Bondi was possessed before and acting weird but he got better so this is probably what happened to Ian that night but the family let him go.
(end of spoiler)
I am really curious if I am making up my own twist or are there other people thinking the same way. Besides the storyline, I did like the atmosphere, the acting was mostly fine, maybe only a bit of too much screaming around for my taste.
So this is how I think the twist was:
The cult can only get Ian if the family accepts to give him willingly. And this is what the family did believing he is satan's child.
Budiman came to rescue the family at the end, but the last time we saw Budiman he was trapped in his house being attacked. So the guy in the truck was maybe not even Budiman himself, the letter was fake and the family was tricked to believe Ian is satan's kid and they let the cult harvest him away (even though the father was shouting he will never ever give his kid away the night before, which is nicely tragic.)
Bondi was possessed before and acting weird but he got better so this is probably what happened to Ian that night but the family let him go.
(end of spoiler)
I am really curious if I am making up my own twist or are there other people thinking the same way. Besides the storyline, I did like the atmosphere, the acting was mostly fine, maybe only a bit of too much screaming around for my taste.
Lame Horror Movie
andrena-948-50576514 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Good movie for Indonesian horror to date. But this is predictable ghost scene with condensed elements of James Wan's movie or mainstream Hollywood horror mystery nowadays.
The storyline wasn't straight, a forced twist, camera play instead of CGI, and aimlessly ghost spirit.
The twist was "The Sekte must have the last child on their 7th birthday" but next corrected with "The last child is the ghost himself when they reach 7th birthday". We know every child is the last child, the mother adds another child before every kid reach 7th. So how?
There is no need for the sekte or ghost to kill the mother, the granny, and Hendra? for what? If Budiman whispered to Hendra that the last child (Ian) is the sekte ghost himself, and will be left himself joining the army of the ghost without family concern to take him back, so what point to kill Hendra?
Why is Bondy possessed and trying to take the knife? looks like he hates Ian or knows that Ian is the devil himself? He must love his brother, or Joko doesn't want to make a killing child scene.
Aahh.. Lame.. Joko Anwar tries to leave the mystery unfinished for possible next movie.
The storyline wasn't straight, a forced twist, camera play instead of CGI, and aimlessly ghost spirit.
The twist was "The Sekte must have the last child on their 7th birthday" but next corrected with "The last child is the ghost himself when they reach 7th birthday". We know every child is the last child, the mother adds another child before every kid reach 7th. So how?
There is no need for the sekte or ghost to kill the mother, the granny, and Hendra? for what? If Budiman whispered to Hendra that the last child (Ian) is the sekte ghost himself, and will be left himself joining the army of the ghost without family concern to take him back, so what point to kill Hendra?
Why is Bondy possessed and trying to take the knife? looks like he hates Ian or knows that Ian is the devil himself? He must love his brother, or Joko doesn't want to make a killing child scene.
Aahh.. Lame.. Joko Anwar tries to leave the mystery unfinished for possible next movie.
Good horror
SyamRawk30 June 2022
A very creepy n scary horror film with solid character development n atmosphere.
Fella_shibby10 June 2018
This is my first Indonesian horror film n what an awesome horror film it turned out to b. After reading that it is a slow burner my excitement dropped but once I played the dvd, from the settings I cud smell that it's gonna b creepy.
A big ol house situated next to the cemetary in the rural Jakarta is sufficiently eerie.
The performances, from the star cast, especially the small kid n the elder sis are grounded and very convincing.
The director's approach to the suspense and horror is slow-building but very very creepy. He shud b given a chance to direct a part of the franchise from the Insidious, Conjuring, Annabelle series. The story is very intriguing. The stark imagery and demonic cutaways were implemented to marvelous effect. Indeed a very scary, spine-tingling n dreadful film.
The interior lighting and shading at the house to some of the daytime n nighttime cemetary exteriors provided some beautiful photography.
The old house with the many rooms, a water well inside its premise n an olden era bathroom all added an eerie feel.
The demons with their umbrella's in the cemetary was top notch scary stuff.
Some solid jump scares as well as some other stylish cuts help create a sense of terror.
The film is full of non cliches jump scares which r creepy n terrifying. There is one very violent n detailed gruesome scene which i don't wanna spoil.
Good Horror movie but poor ending.
furydog6 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is a remake of 80's horror movie.
Frankly i find this movie not that scary , in my opinion i put this movie head to head with conjuring or insidious. jump scare sound effect would be expected.
The Ring or Shutter (the original ) is much scarier.
Doable acting from the main character and also the children. not so much for the supporting cast.
BUT
Boy if not the ending i would give 7 - 8 rating. The ending just funny all those pocong aka zombie. btw pocong mean to be REALLY scary since it one of the scariest indonesia ghost. but in this movie they were not scary that much maybe the make up or just poor direction . and that DEVIL seeds zzzz.
a good start with seriously FLAWED ENDING...
AziziOthmanMY22 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The movie starts eerily and creepy backstory, some jumpscares was expected as usual (being asian horror). the story builds up and manage to entertain you at some level but unfortunately the writers got lazy and end up piling up cult and zombie garbage as it's ending.
Flawed but really good
kosmasp13 February 2019
Usually if characters "act" in a certain way (meaning not really smart or favourable), I tend to dislike the movie and won't have really a good time watching it. This movie walks that fine line and also walks another very difficult line masterfully: combining horror and comedy (or light moments to be more specific).
There are certain moments, that really made my skin crawl. The ideas they had at some parts were really good. It may have the trappings of most horror movies, but you can either hold this against the movie or just roll with it. I can really recommend to do the latter, even if you are a bit of a cynic. The mood the cinematography captures is riveting ...
There are certain moments, that really made my skin crawl. The ideas they had at some parts were really good. It may have the trappings of most horror movies, but you can either hold this against the movie or just roll with it. I can really recommend to do the latter, even if you are a bit of a cynic. The mood the cinematography captures is riveting ...
Direction falls short, however a high-production value and solid acting makes it worth seeking out for the genre fan
kim_smoltz7 September 2018
Indonesian cult filmmaker Joko Anwar's fourth directorial feature is a myriad of horror elements delightfully wrapped up in a neat little package, sure to please the occult horror audience. Rini (Tara Basro) is a young woman living with her father and terminally ill mother in the removed suburbs of Jakarta, along with her three younger brothers. Due to Mother's (Ayu Laksmi) lengthy treatment, the family has fallen on hard times, with much of the burden falling on Rini and Father (Bront Palarae). Upon the death of Mother, strange occurrences and apparitions appear in the family home, prompting a film noir style investigation into the family's history with the occult.
If this sounds like Ari Aster's recent effort "Hereditary" (2018), that's because it really is a similar movie. It also blends in a healthy dose of atmospheric suspense, brought to life by cinematographer Ical Tanjung, who expertly knows his way around lighting. To that end, "Satan's Slaves" will be very much enjoyed by those who liked "The Conjuring" (2013) and "The Woman in Black" (2011); the theme of a gothic-style maternal figure coming back to haunt the living is the film's principle set-up, and much of the film's true terror comes from the grotesque depiction of Mother's spirit. In addition, mysterious cult-like home invaders made me think of "You're Next" (2011) and -- far more obviously -- "The Void" (2016).
Despite the high production value of "Satan's Slaves," Anwar's direction falls short, never quite hitting the mark of enough originality to warrant close attention. The premise of the film is by no standards original, and much has been borrowed without giving the audience something fresh. I found the film to often trip up over its own influences and drag along often, with many scenes of dialogue losing the suspense momentum that the rest of the film steadily builds up. In addition, despite the overall strong acting from the entire cast, scenes where Rini and her brothers expressed fear seemed forced and awkward. Palarae's excellent performance as the protective father never disappoints, and is perhaps the strongest actor in the film.
While the film's North American distribution status remains to be seen, if it does make its way stateside, I'd recommend seeking it out for fans of the type of horror shown in the films mentioned in this review. It's far from an original effort, but it's made well, and there are a few scenes that will certainly cause your head to turn away from the screen.
*Screened at Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival 2018.
If this sounds like Ari Aster's recent effort "Hereditary" (2018), that's because it really is a similar movie. It also blends in a healthy dose of atmospheric suspense, brought to life by cinematographer Ical Tanjung, who expertly knows his way around lighting. To that end, "Satan's Slaves" will be very much enjoyed by those who liked "The Conjuring" (2013) and "The Woman in Black" (2011); the theme of a gothic-style maternal figure coming back to haunt the living is the film's principle set-up, and much of the film's true terror comes from the grotesque depiction of Mother's spirit. In addition, mysterious cult-like home invaders made me think of "You're Next" (2011) and -- far more obviously -- "The Void" (2016).
Despite the high production value of "Satan's Slaves," Anwar's direction falls short, never quite hitting the mark of enough originality to warrant close attention. The premise of the film is by no standards original, and much has been borrowed without giving the audience something fresh. I found the film to often trip up over its own influences and drag along often, with many scenes of dialogue losing the suspense momentum that the rest of the film steadily builds up. In addition, despite the overall strong acting from the entire cast, scenes where Rini and her brothers expressed fear seemed forced and awkward. Palarae's excellent performance as the protective father never disappoints, and is perhaps the strongest actor in the film.
While the film's North American distribution status remains to be seen, if it does make its way stateside, I'd recommend seeking it out for fans of the type of horror shown in the films mentioned in this review. It's far from an original effort, but it's made well, and there are a few scenes that will certainly cause your head to turn away from the screen.
*Screened at Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival 2018.
Not horror...but maybe an extended advertisement!!
yuma3103 April 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The most striking feature is the sheer determination of this family.... to sleep! Death of mother and grandmother? Seeing creepy disturbing things in the house? Have a brother threaten you while you're snug in bed? This family will never leave their beds, no matter what horrific sight or sound is thrown at them. No-one gives up their bed to comfort or protect the other younger, under-attack kids.No-one has a sleepless night in this family. All horrors will be dealt with...in the morning.
The quality of the mattress is the key star here. The storyline, horror and acting are not.
The quality of the mattress is the key star here. The storyline, horror and acting are not.
Definitely worth a watch, don't let the title mislead you
fatamorgana-4020821 April 2020
I found this to be a nice creepy movie. It didn't try to reinvent the wheel or pretend it was artsy. It didn't come at me with a Hollywood agenda and preach to me how bad men are, in particular, how bad white men are....there was no convoluted story line or incomplete plot arcs. There were no unnecessary characters or stupid attempts at humor to appeal to a more younger, diverse crowd....it was quite simply put....a creepy scary movie. Well done!! I feel lucky to have stumbled upon this movie. Give it a chance....
A Gradually Escalating & Surprisingly Effective Indonesian Horror
CinemaClown27 August 2018
Deriving tension & delivering thrills through its well-sustained ominous ambience, Satan's Slaves is a finely crafted & surprisingly effective horror that keeps an eerie, uneasy vibe alive for the major portion of its runtime yet fails to finish on a strong note, thanks to its muddled third act.
An Indonesian Scary Movie With A Hint of Hollywood
Quite agree with andrena-948-505765 although I won't use 'lame' to describe the movie.
As a whole this movie is entertainingly scary & funny. Fun to watch if you leave your brain out of the equation for a while. Rather well made technically speaking & shows a very interesting casts.
Joko Anwar should try to incorporate more of local horror elements in his next horror movie projects. for one thing, the use of sect/cult as culprit in this movie is very Hollywood-like, and almost unheard of in local Indonesia spiritual life.
And to entertain the more logical audience try to make the illogical a little bit logical in details such as in the opening scene when the mother ring her bell and Rini goes up the stairs to see her looking scared. Why? Is her mother a ghost already at that point? What makes her & her siblings look so terrified when going up the stairs to attend to her mother's calling (when she's still alive)?
And yes Joko has prepared a way to a sequel by way of the brief appearance of Fachri Albar as the mysterious neighbor slash cultist. Let's see how it turns up.
Anyways kudos for Joko & the team. Stay away from the Hollywood stereotyping as much as possible. We want to see something fresh & original coming from a genius mind of the likes of you.
h_wanamulya24 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
- May contain spoiler -
Quite agree with andrena-948-505765 although I won't use 'lame' to describe the movie.
As a whole this movie is entertainingly scary & funny. Fun to watch if you leave your brain out of the equation for a while. Rather well made technically speaking & shows a very interesting casts.
Joko Anwar should try to incorporate more of local horror elements in his next horror movie projects. for one thing, the use of sect/cult as culprit in this movie is very Hollywood-like, and almost unheard of in local Indonesia spiritual life.
And to entertain the more logical audience try to make the illogical a little bit logical in details such as in the opening scene when the mother ring her bell and Rini goes up the stairs to see her looking scared. Why? Is her mother a ghost already at that point? What makes her & her siblings look so terrified when going up the stairs to attend to her mother's calling (when she's still alive)?
And yes Joko has prepared a way to a sequel by way of the brief appearance of Fachri Albar as the mysterious neighbor slash cultist. Let's see how it turns up.
Anyways kudos for Joko & the team. Stay away from the Hollywood stereotyping as much as possible. We want to see something fresh & original coming from a genius mind of the likes of you.
Family matters.
Pjtaylor-96-13804421 September 2021
After their mother suddenly dies from an illness that plagued her for three years, a group of siblings start to experience supernatural occurrences and eventually realise that their mother may not be as gone as they first thought. 'Satan's Slaves (2017)' is actually a remake of 'Satan's Slave (1982)', which director Joko Anwar claims to have been terrified by as a child. It's a slow-burning horror that focuses on the family dynamics that occur during a period of grief, as well as the concept that children often pay for the sins of their parents. It's an atmospheric affair throughout. It has plenty of genuinely suspenseful set-pieces and isn't shy when it comes to its scares. For the most part, its horror is really well done. The flick is rather gripping, too, with an interesting story that unfolds naturally and deliberately. It's a really solid effort, even if it isn't particularly scary overall, and it's really well made in almost every regard. 7/10.
Zombies and gore and demons, oh my!
Howling_at_the_Moon_Reviews14 July 2022
This had most everything you want from a horror, many different elements and quintessentials that the viewing demographic is bound to enjoy. For that reason as well it was not the most wildly original thing either, so it's a double edged sword.
The pacing was a bit slow for me but enthralling none the less. It really shined in the third act but unfortunately the very ending flopped a bit. The acting seemed pretty great all around, main actress did a great job. Not as good as Impetigore but still successful in its own right. I would give this a 6.5 but I don't feel it quite reached a 7 so I'm going for a 6. Would recommend.
The pacing was a bit slow for me but enthralling none the less. It really shined in the third act but unfortunately the very ending flopped a bit. The acting seemed pretty great all around, main actress did a great job. Not as good as Impetigore but still successful in its own right. I would give this a 6.5 but I don't feel it quite reached a 7 so I'm going for a 6. Would recommend.
Scary as sh*t!!!!
umbertod-733862 October 2017
This is simply one of the best horror movies i ever seen. The colours, the story, the atmosphere, and the cinematography just engaging. This film is not about a jumpscare scene but more than that. Every chilling scene build with a gorgeous tone of colours. This is classic and do yourself a favour to watch it. Worth every penny and i think i should watch it again for the 2nd time. For Joko Anwar you have done a great job! Love it!
Could've Been Better.
redrobin62-321-2073117 August 2018
THIS was a breakthrough for Indonesian horror? In that case they have a looooong way to go in terms of storytelling.
You've seen everything on display here. Without giving up any spoilers, suffice it to say, most of these scenes can be seen in "The Exorcist," "The Omen," "Zombie," and countless other horror films. In fact, "Satan's Slaves" is so derivative that it simply seems like an Indonesian version of countless other South Korean horror films.
The film had a slow build with a few jump scares, but the ending was a let down. Anyway, it is what it is. I suppose that coming from Indonesia, a religious country rife with censorship laws, "Satan's Slaves" would probably have been a breakthrough in that sense. Otherwise, meh. Nothing to see here, folks.
You've seen everything on display here. Without giving up any spoilers, suffice it to say, most of these scenes can be seen in "The Exorcist," "The Omen," "Zombie," and countless other horror films. In fact, "Satan's Slaves" is so derivative that it simply seems like an Indonesian version of countless other South Korean horror films.
The film had a slow build with a few jump scares, but the ending was a let down. Anyway, it is what it is. I suppose that coming from Indonesia, a religious country rife with censorship laws, "Satan's Slaves" would probably have been a breakthrough in that sense. Otherwise, meh. Nothing to see here, folks.
The Best Indonesian Horror Movie of all time
ilovepakjejen30 September 2017
Started with mysterious illness of mother, 4 kids and the husband try the best to cure their mother and Wife. And, SUddenly the mother died and buried in Islam way. And the Terror Begins...
I think this is the best Horror ever made in Indonesia. Well Cinematograph, Well act, well the portion scene of each character, well Make up (Joko Anwar didn't do CGI Neither Green Screen), and Well Scoring. I Like the way Joko Scaring us by using The Ghost of Mother telling something to Toni in his bedroom. THATS THE BEST SCAREJUMP
And Rini, as the leader of the family since their father had to go to find Money to city (This family is going to the well of poor), had to struggle to protect her brothers from her mother.
Ian and Bondy is the most entertaining character in entire story. Their dialog gained sympathy from audience. Well Played
after all, this is the best horror movie, with twist ending and mind-blowing. BEWARE OF IBU
I think this is the best Horror ever made in Indonesia. Well Cinematograph, Well act, well the portion scene of each character, well Make up (Joko Anwar didn't do CGI Neither Green Screen), and Well Scoring. I Like the way Joko Scaring us by using The Ghost of Mother telling something to Toni in his bedroom. THATS THE BEST SCAREJUMP
And Rini, as the leader of the family since their father had to go to find Money to city (This family is going to the well of poor), had to struggle to protect her brothers from her mother.
Ian and Bondy is the most entertaining character in entire story. Their dialog gained sympathy from audience. Well Played
after all, this is the best horror movie, with twist ending and mind-blowing. BEWARE OF IBU
An effectively terrifying ghost story.
punch8714 October 2019
We don't pray.
nogodnomasters17 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This is a dubbed Indonesian film. In the first 20 minutes, we meet the family and Mama dies. Weird things are happening. We discover later in the film, Mama was barren and prayed to Satan for children rather than Allah. As a result, the youngest son must be given up on his seventh birthday. Ian, the youngest will soon turn seven.
The film was dull and lifeless for the most part. Like so many horror films the action is end-loaded.
Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity.
The film was dull and lifeless for the most part. Like so many horror films the action is end-loaded.
Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity.
Quite a creepy little film.
frankblack-7996122 June 2021
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