May The Devil Take You does owe a lot of its stylistic flourishes to the Evil Dead series. It is a cabin in the woods horror, with a creepy cellar, a body hopping demon and a lot of grunge and gore. However, the story-line by which the demon comes to inhabit the cabin's cellar is entirely based in lore from the movie's country of origin. The movie assumes the viewer understands enough of it to read between the lines in some scenes. The film has a cold open that lets the viewer know immediately what sort of threat is inhabiting the cabin, who called it there, and why. Fast forward in time and the man who decided 'comfortable enough to be able to afford a villa and part with a suitcase full of cash on a chance' was not wealthy enough for him seems to have lost everything. But why? It's up to his daughters and stepchildren to find out as they travel to the villa to see what they've inherited. Turns out what they've inherited is a demon who wants to collect a debt. Some of the best mood scares involve the household decor suddenly changing when someone evil passes close by, but there are jump scares aplenty in here too if that's your preference. The characters mostly make the best decisions available to them in a house that doesn't want them to leave, and also taking into account the mental and emotional baggage they brought in with them. I could have wished the heroine didn't pass out as often as she does but she makes up for it at the end with some clever badassery. I don't think it's the best cabin in the woods horror I've ever seen, but as an example of the genre it holds its own.
68 Reviews
A genuinely terrifying film plagued by stupid characters and bad acting.
sagir-khan17 November 2018
This is a terrifying film. It doesn't pull its punches. It hits hard from the start. It has genuine moments of horror that is missing from most films these days that just rely on cheap jump scares with sudden loud noises and ghosts jumping from out of screen.
Having said that, it does not transcend the usual horror tropes with characters making bad mistakes and acting downright stupid at times. The brother character, in particular, is frustratingly stupid. The movie also suffers from poor acting by the child actor who just isn't convincing that she is frightened. Any human being would be terrified in the circumstances of the film but her expressions are just robotic and she does not seem to be in the same movie as the rest of the actors.
All in all I recommend this movie to all horror movie geeks a 100% but do not expect an exceptional film like the likes of Hereditary (2018) or IT (2017).
Having said that, it does not transcend the usual horror tropes with characters making bad mistakes and acting downright stupid at times. The brother character, in particular, is frustratingly stupid. The movie also suffers from poor acting by the child actor who just isn't convincing that she is frightened. Any human being would be terrified in the circumstances of the film but her expressions are just robotic and she does not seem to be in the same movie as the rest of the actors.
All in all I recommend this movie to all horror movie geeks a 100% but do not expect an exceptional film like the likes of Hereditary (2018) or IT (2017).
once the possession is on, it's worth seeing
trashgang20 August 2020
I was told, disturbing and gory so I had to search for this Indonesian flick. Simple, it's on Netflix. Seen it I have to agree that some shots are gory.
Starts a bit slowly with a great start after 30 minutes I thought is this it and just when I thought to stop this flick slowly the eerie atmosphere comes in. And once the possession is out there this turns into a rather good horror.
Disturbing, not for me but i do understand that the creepy possessed people can be to much for some. One shot is indeed full of gore and well done.
Above mediocre but not one that will stuck to mymind, still if you like them dark and scary, watch it.
Gore 1/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5
Starts a bit slowly with a great start after 30 minutes I thought is this it and just when I thought to stop this flick slowly the eerie atmosphere comes in. And once the possession is out there this turns into a rather good horror.
Disturbing, not for me but i do understand that the creepy possessed people can be to much for some. One shot is indeed full of gore and well done.
Above mediocre but not one that will stuck to mymind, still if you like them dark and scary, watch it.
Gore 1/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5
Not Bad!!
Foutainoflife17 January 2019
I enjoyed this. I thought it had some genuinely creepy moments. The effects were ok. They weren't the best but they weren't really cheesy. I think that the story could've used a bit more attention. I know that a lot of horror snobs will try to knock this film off it's feet but my opinion is that this was worth the watch. If you are looking for blood, guts and gore this is not gonna leave you satisfied. This leans more towards possession, ritualistic, and creepy horror. I'm glad I gave it a chance.
Honest review
vmalast25 November 2018
I could watch this film alone, in the dark, in a morgue, under a ladder whilst breaking mirrors with one hand and using a ouija board with the other AND still not be frightened. I'm a huge fan of Asian horror and this one truly disappoints. The acting was okay, the actors who played the stepbrother and stepsister were really the only believable ones. The first apparition looked like the Corpse Bride with hair. The director included all the typical overused cliches from other horror movies (and much better horror movies) no originality. On the plus side, the atmosphere and cinematography was good. I saw this on Netflix which is living up to its newfound reputation of touting mediocre horror films as To Scary To Watch.
Creepy n gory.
Fella_shibby29 November 2018
Edited my review on 23rd Oct 2020 aft revisiting the film cos i am gonna see the second part which looks promising.
I understood n liked the film more aft second viewing. Found the black blood/vomit to be too much. The mumbo jumbo stuff is silly but the film is creepy, atmospheric n very gory. Comparisons to Evil Dead n Wither will crop up in reviews but this one will satisfy fans of horror films. The plot - A young woman Alfie had been estranged from her rich father for years after her mother's brutal accident. She gets a call from her step sibling regarding her father's mysterious illness and when she visits the hospital, she comes to know that her step mother needs her signature for selling off an old, abandoned rural house. Alfie visits the old house after strange happenings regarding a ghost but unearths a terrifying secret about her father's wealth.
The film does have some flaws n moments of stupidity but it has its share of jump scares, scary demonic faces n voodoo stuff. Honestly, it is creepy at times.
The thing which is missing is the explanation of the witch. As a fan of the director's earlier efforts, I am a bit generous with a 7.
I understood n liked the film more aft second viewing. Found the black blood/vomit to be too much. The mumbo jumbo stuff is silly but the film is creepy, atmospheric n very gory. Comparisons to Evil Dead n Wither will crop up in reviews but this one will satisfy fans of horror films. The plot - A young woman Alfie had been estranged from her rich father for years after her mother's brutal accident. She gets a call from her step sibling regarding her father's mysterious illness and when she visits the hospital, she comes to know that her step mother needs her signature for selling off an old, abandoned rural house. Alfie visits the old house after strange happenings regarding a ghost but unearths a terrifying secret about her father's wealth.
The film does have some flaws n moments of stupidity but it has its share of jump scares, scary demonic faces n voodoo stuff. Honestly, it is creepy at times.
The thing which is missing is the explanation of the witch. As a fan of the director's earlier efforts, I am a bit generous with a 7.
very disappointing, too much hype in social media
jinojiwantenggara21 August 2018
This movie is a Pengabdi Setan (Satan's Slave) wannabe. You can clearly see how it tried so hard mimicking the success of Satan's Slave. The plot doen't make any sense. It is jump back between the past and the present via (somehow) time traveling or memory(?). The main character suffered too many blackouts without any explanation what is wrong with her. The director decided to add "thing" that has been his passion from all his movies: blood through cheap unnecessary gory scenes.
Indonesian evil dead! N its quite scary! Worth give a try!
mohammadirfan27415 November 2018
Damn scary as i thought! Watched it on netflix alone and i felt it really very scary! I wished i shouldn't have been watching it alone! Alot of frightening parts! Hence its a good flick for a horror lovers! Worth giving it a try!
The storyline does not explain causation well
bezanoyoutu16 November 2018
The audience is not afraid because of the visual appearance or plot, but just "surprised". The film only shows evil characters with a creepy appearance, and only to make the audience surprised by displaying it suddenly on the screen with sound and music as loud as possible. Even the characters seem very slow in speaking.
It visually scary but there's nothing more
rayion16 August 2018
The first one third has some explanation of what's going on in the film but it's just a tiny bit of it, I mean there's no more development after it. Timo only giving audiences a non-stop gory jumpscare that has nothing involved with the story. It somehow feels so dragged at how slow the character speaks or decide an action and made yawn oftenly, you know the reason is he tried to make a 2 hour film with a weak screenplay. I don't see any actors shine here, there some good actor but how Timo direct them just disappoint me a bit. In sum Sebelum Iblis Menjemput is just a total boring mainstream horror film that only tries to scare you with scary picture and loud noises with a weak foundation of its story. The only good thing is the make-up work.
I enjoy it!
andinaseptia19 August 2018
I gotta say, either the director or the acting coach work really well here. Chelsea did a great job! Pevita too. And Karina Suwandi went beyond my expectation. wth they did a good job! I enjoy their craft so much in character development.
but for me, who always scared with littlest jump-scares, this movie isn't really scary.
Kudos to wardrobe and art department too! this movie didn't make me cringe with cliches.
but for me, who always scared with littlest jump-scares, this movie isn't really scary.
Kudos to wardrobe and art department too! this movie didn't make me cringe with cliches.
Visually Scary but Story needed more wo
stephenherman17 November 2018
It's the Indonesian Evil Dead. Great directing & really terrifying visuals. Some of the shots were amazing. But could have been so much more if there was a good story to it. Another case of a script that goes no where. Still, had fun watching.
Sophomoric effort
akg124916 November 2018
Reciprocally, one can liken this Netflix Original to Stephen King's "It" which featured a face-painted clown that did demonic things like eating children. This movie, however, does a headstand of "It", and features chocolate-syrup-spewing demons that do clownish things like screeching and whimpering for no reason and chasing other characters around without knowing what to do with them once they are caught. But who's complaining? Hey, it is at least worth a few laughs.
This movie is just a shoddy patchwork of meaningless supposed-to-be-scary scenes in which characters, loosely tied by what can't be termed a plot, are attacked by demonic entities or attack each other. The entire focus has been on frightening the audience with demonic imagery and none on storytelling. Screenplay is poorly written; things and events don't always make sense. One can also see that the conceptual elements used in the scenes are mostly unoriginal and have been inspired by some other well-known Western flicks.
But movie isn't out and out garbage. Actors are all pros and have done well even with a poorly written script. The two lead actresses impress a lot. Locations are well-chosen and prepared. Photography is quite deft too. What's painfully absent is a thematic core that could have weaved all these elements together into something artistic.
Indonesian film industry has only recently been freed from the political clutches of its now-removed dictator Suharto. Netflix and other foreign studios are now pumping big money into Indonesia and other South Asian film industries. While initially, these funds will be gobbled up by cash-strapped filmmakers willing to produce content quickly even if of below-average quality, one hopes for more polished works in future as their technique and ideation improve.
This movie is just a shoddy patchwork of meaningless supposed-to-be-scary scenes in which characters, loosely tied by what can't be termed a plot, are attacked by demonic entities or attack each other. The entire focus has been on frightening the audience with demonic imagery and none on storytelling. Screenplay is poorly written; things and events don't always make sense. One can also see that the conceptual elements used in the scenes are mostly unoriginal and have been inspired by some other well-known Western flicks.
But movie isn't out and out garbage. Actors are all pros and have done well even with a poorly written script. The two lead actresses impress a lot. Locations are well-chosen and prepared. Photography is quite deft too. What's painfully absent is a thematic core that could have weaved all these elements together into something artistic.
Indonesian film industry has only recently been freed from the political clutches of its now-removed dictator Suharto. Netflix and other foreign studios are now pumping big money into Indonesia and other South Asian film industries. While initially, these funds will be gobbled up by cash-strapped filmmakers willing to produce content quickly even if of below-average quality, one hopes for more polished works in future as their technique and ideation improve.
Lesser imitation of last year's 'Pengabdi Setan', but still okay though
hiraishinnojutsu14 August 2018
We can clearly see Pengabdi Setan's influence on this year's horror Indonesian movies, and this movie is no exception. But unfortunately, it also bring about of its problems. But unlike Pengabdi Setan, the acting of some of the actors and actress in this movie fell quiet flat (oh and their reactions and actions to solve the problems at hand don't quiet make sense) and so did the dialogues. The plot and some of the scary scenes, I think, got a little bit forced just to make us jump off our seats. despite all that, 'Sebelum Iblis Menjemput' is one of so few Indonesian movies (horror movies to be precise) that I appreciate for its shots, pictures, cinematography, practical and special effect (well not all of them), the entirety of its storyline, jumpscares, and tensions which resulted from the director's bold move in incorporating some of the elements from Hollywood's best horror flicks into it (and to differentiate itself from the dull and mediocre Indonesian movies).
Should have been better.
BA_Harrison13 December 2018
Director Timo Tjahjanto is the man behind a couple of my favourite action films of recent years - Headshot and The Night Comes For Us - and, along with Gareth Evans, he co-directed a fun story for horror anthology V/H/S/2. Naturally, I was pumped to see May the Devil Take You, which some have described as an Indonesian The Evil Dead.
I can certainly understand the comparison - both are fast, frenetic, gory tales of possession that, for the most part, take place in an isolated rural building - but Tjahjanto's film cannot hold a candle to Sam Raimi's cult classic: although it features some well handled individual scenes, a messy, unfocussed plot makes it a confusing tale that is definitely less than the sum of its parts.
The basic plot revolves around a young woman, Alfie (Chelsea Islan), who goes to see the ailing father she hasn't seen in ten years. On discovering that he has left an old villa in her name, Alfie pays a visit to the building, where an evil presence lurks in the cellar. When her stepmother and step-siblings also turn up, the malevolent spirit is freed and, in one of the film's most effective moments, possesses the stepmother. One by one, the family members fall victim to the evil at large...
Superbly executed scenes of suspense (the girl with the hammer behind her back) rub shoulders with derivative Asian spooky nonsense (what is it with Asians and haunted hair?), while predictable scares fail to do the trick. At no point was I tempted to turn off or catch some Zzzzzs - a brisk pace ensured that - but I did find the uneven, jumbled nature of the whole thing frustrating. I certainly expected better from Tjahjanto.
I can certainly understand the comparison - both are fast, frenetic, gory tales of possession that, for the most part, take place in an isolated rural building - but Tjahjanto's film cannot hold a candle to Sam Raimi's cult classic: although it features some well handled individual scenes, a messy, unfocussed plot makes it a confusing tale that is definitely less than the sum of its parts.
The basic plot revolves around a young woman, Alfie (Chelsea Islan), who goes to see the ailing father she hasn't seen in ten years. On discovering that he has left an old villa in her name, Alfie pays a visit to the building, where an evil presence lurks in the cellar. When her stepmother and step-siblings also turn up, the malevolent spirit is freed and, in one of the film's most effective moments, possesses the stepmother. One by one, the family members fall victim to the evil at large...
Superbly executed scenes of suspense (the girl with the hammer behind her back) rub shoulders with derivative Asian spooky nonsense (what is it with Asians and haunted hair?), while predictable scares fail to do the trick. At no point was I tempted to turn off or catch some Zzzzzs - a brisk pace ensured that - but I did find the uneven, jumbled nature of the whole thing frustrating. I certainly expected better from Tjahjanto.
It's a good one tho
jessicasukarsa-8336420 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
A good movie and creeps me all way long. One of the best horror movie from indonesia. The only thing that very disappointing is why it has to be a happy ending, if everyone was dead and no one survive it would haunted the audience and i would probably give 8.5/10. I mean.. why?
Surprisingly good horror
allancawley19 November 2018
Watched on a boring afternoon, not expecting anything more than a time passer. Was I surprised! Great movie in the style of Evil Dead, average acting, shallow plot, devastating effects. No big shocks, the movie doesn't try to be too clever or anything other than a gore fest.
Watch and enjoy!
Timo Tjahjanto's latest act of blood-spilling mayhem
Condemned-Soul9 March 2019
Timo Tjahjanto - known for martial arts bloodbath "The Night Comes For Us" - delves into the horror genre here, and it's evidently inspired by the likes of "The Evil Dead".
It's about a father who makes a pact with something evil in order to lead a prosperous life. But it isn't long before that evil seeks payment in blood and souls. When he slips into a coma, his family go to his old villa where unspeakable evil is patiently waiting... The story might not be its strong suit, but it does have a focus on character before the terror strikes.
And when it strikes, it hits hard. Fans of Tjahjanto know he has a flair for staging gruesome scenes, so it's no surprise this gets bloody fairly quickly; from limb-breaking, blood spewing, flesh-possessing carnage, there's enough here to quench gorehounds, but it's also worth noting there's enough substance to keep more demanding viewers engaged beside the bloodletting.
It may not be as scary as it intends to be, but 'May the Devil Take You' has an intensity typical of an Indonesian film, and for that alone it's worth a watch.
7/10
It's about a father who makes a pact with something evil in order to lead a prosperous life. But it isn't long before that evil seeks payment in blood and souls. When he slips into a coma, his family go to his old villa where unspeakable evil is patiently waiting... The story might not be its strong suit, but it does have a focus on character before the terror strikes.
And when it strikes, it hits hard. Fans of Tjahjanto know he has a flair for staging gruesome scenes, so it's no surprise this gets bloody fairly quickly; from limb-breaking, blood spewing, flesh-possessing carnage, there's enough here to quench gorehounds, but it's also worth noting there's enough substance to keep more demanding viewers engaged beside the bloodletting.
It may not be as scary as it intends to be, but 'May the Devil Take You' has an intensity typical of an Indonesian film, and for that alone it's worth a watch.
7/10
Failed Miserably
smp122725 March 2023
This movie had potential but failed miserably because of how dumb they made these characters. The way they acted and react, it was so pathetic. They were so incompetent and basically asked to be tortured, attacked and beaten. It's like they ran into the face of evil at each turn. I wanted to shut it off halfway through the movie because I could tell it was going to get worse as it went on. The gore and special effects were certainly there and the plot was decent but they made a mess of the characters. So disappointed because it really could have been better. Really turned out to be a hot mess.
You Won't Watch More Than Once (in a good way)
erickfrds21 August 2018
I rarely watch Asian horror movies like this (other than Satan's Slave)
this film makes the audience uncomfortable when sitting in a chair and watching the film
this film is very good and different from normal films
the audience will be made sore and scream when the scene is gore
you will shout when watching this movie even though you are a man
in a good way, this film gives high intense horror even though ghost figures don't appear too often
But, this film drama was a bit excessive especially the dialogue of the 2 main female cast and although the effects are not as good as Hollywood films but that does not reduce the sense of horror that exists
But, this film drama was a bit excessive especially the dialogue of the 2 main female cast and although the effects are not as good as Hollywood films but that does not reduce the sense of horror that exists
A surprisingly good horror movie...
paul_haakonsen9 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The 2018 Indonesian horror movie "May the Devil Take You" (aka "Sebelum Iblis Menjemput") turned out to be a rather enjoyable surprise of a movie. I must admit that as I sat down to watch it, I didn't really expect much from writer and director Timo Tjahjanto, as I hadn't even heard about the movie prior to sitting down to watch it in 2021. And also, the movie's cover wasn't just exactly particularly interesting to behold.
The storyline was nicely constructed, albeit at times fairly straight forward and almost generic for a horror movie. But there was just something about the storyline that worked well in favor of the overall enjoyment of the movie.
The acting performances in the movie were good. Now, I wasn't familiar with anyone on the cast list here, but then again, I am not overly familiar with the Indonesian cinema at large. But I will say that the performances in the movie were good, especial Chelsea Islan (playing Alfie) and Ruth Marini (playing the priestess).
Visually, then this is where "May the Devil Take You" really impressed me. The special effects and make-up in the movie were really good, and came off as being rather realistic-looking. And that was something that carried a lot of worth with it, because it added so much to the movie. I especially liked the make-up on the possessed mother.
"May the Devil Take You" feels like a good old classic foray into the horror genre. The movie offers enjoyment to seasoned horror veterans such as myself, but also serves as a good movie to introduce the horror genre to new audiences. So thumbs up to writer and director Timo Tjahjanto on that accomplishment.
This is a horror movie that I can and will warmly recommend you take the time to watch, especially if you enjoy the Asian horror cinema. My rating of the 2018 movie "May the Devil Take You" lands on a well-deserved six out of ten stars.
The storyline was nicely constructed, albeit at times fairly straight forward and almost generic for a horror movie. But there was just something about the storyline that worked well in favor of the overall enjoyment of the movie.
The acting performances in the movie were good. Now, I wasn't familiar with anyone on the cast list here, but then again, I am not overly familiar with the Indonesian cinema at large. But I will say that the performances in the movie were good, especial Chelsea Islan (playing Alfie) and Ruth Marini (playing the priestess).
Visually, then this is where "May the Devil Take You" really impressed me. The special effects and make-up in the movie were really good, and came off as being rather realistic-looking. And that was something that carried a lot of worth with it, because it added so much to the movie. I especially liked the make-up on the possessed mother.
"May the Devil Take You" feels like a good old classic foray into the horror genre. The movie offers enjoyment to seasoned horror veterans such as myself, but also serves as a good movie to introduce the horror genre to new audiences. So thumbs up to writer and director Timo Tjahjanto on that accomplishment.
This is a horror movie that I can and will warmly recommend you take the time to watch, especially if you enjoy the Asian horror cinema. My rating of the 2018 movie "May the Devil Take You" lands on a well-deserved six out of ten stars.
Don't waste your time!!
Mish18717 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
I really never regret something as much as regretting watching this movie .. alright I can understand that it has an idea of selling the soul to the devil to be successful and it'll turn on u someday but still, they spent a lot of money on bad acting and a stupid storyline .. I've watched better movies got weaker rating than this and I'm still wondering how come this movie got 7/10 !? There was even a scene when it was raining and there's rain all over the place but they're wet while there's not even one drop is hitting them!! Also when they were trying to pull the mother to not be pulled by the devil in the basement, when they let go they fell in a stupid way that's showing that it's poor acting .. maaaaan I'm done I won't even continue watching this, I've watched advertisements way much better than this lol .
Hit and miss horror film from Indonesia.
elmoslively21 November 2018
This movie relies to much on gore and violence for it's horror. It has a few jump scares that are okay, but a lot of the dialogue is very melodramatic. The acting is good overall but the direction is derivative not unlike William Friedkin or the films of James Wan or Blumhouse. It also has some decent horror makeup effects.
I ask for an apology to my friends
Tradniam14 August 2018
Warning: Spoilers
As I insisted to see this movie together since we are horror fans and the stars are quite promising. I wish I could get up and off the theater right away, thing I would do when the show doesn't move me at all. But I just couldn't, it was my idea, so I kind of had to take "the punishment".
The idea is good. Twisted ending to explain what is the truth about the daddy's hidden agenda. But it has too many try-to-be scary scenes. Actors like had never ending popped eyes and opened mouths, it is tiring. Every horror movie should treat the audience up and down like roller coaster while the thrill stays, then slowly aiming to the explosive ending. The plot sacrifices actors, we don't see them emotionally at same level of hysteria from one scary scene to another. Those too many try-to-be scary scenes get us totally bored. And worse of all is director doesn't bring anything new to make us jump off our seats. We have seen everything in this film previously, name it; the old house, the red door (why red?), dark basement, the back-crawling up the wall possessed mother (it failed btw), the voodoo, evil or ghost pulling leg under the bed, wavy air as the evil spirit passes, etc. Those scenes confuse us, we don't see the connection or the order to explain the evil's plan.
I also still have few questions; the goat demon, there is demon, correct? Where is it eventually? And how many evil spirits? It is two, correct? One stays to possess everyone in the house and one flies back to hospital to kill the daddy. Is there anymore evil spirit?
The idea is good. Twisted ending to explain what is the truth about the daddy's hidden agenda. But it has too many try-to-be scary scenes. Actors like had never ending popped eyes and opened mouths, it is tiring. Every horror movie should treat the audience up and down like roller coaster while the thrill stays, then slowly aiming to the explosive ending. The plot sacrifices actors, we don't see them emotionally at same level of hysteria from one scary scene to another. Those too many try-to-be scary scenes get us totally bored. And worse of all is director doesn't bring anything new to make us jump off our seats. We have seen everything in this film previously, name it; the old house, the red door (why red?), dark basement, the back-crawling up the wall possessed mother (it failed btw), the voodoo, evil or ghost pulling leg under the bed, wavy air as the evil spirit passes, etc. Those scenes confuse us, we don't see the connection or the order to explain the evil's plan.
I also still have few questions; the goat demon, there is demon, correct? Where is it eventually? And how many evil spirits? It is two, correct? One stays to possess everyone in the house and one flies back to hospital to kill the daddy. Is there anymore evil spirit?
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