Malam Satu Suro

Director - Sisworo Gautama Putra (Wolf, Sanet)

Starring - Suzzanna (The Earth Gets Hotter, Hantu Ambulance), Fendy Pradana (Valentine, Dia), and Nurnaningsih (Yoan, Cowok Komersil)

Release Date - 1988

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I was excited when Severin sent me the Suzzanna: Empress of Darkness set for review.  My knowledge of Indonesian horror is damn near nonexistent but the one film I had seen previously, Satan's Slave, is one of my favorite films.  So far this set has delivered two solid films but neither are close to reaching the level of awesome that Satan's Slave is.  The third film that I decided to watch is the 1988 supernatural horror Malam Satu Suro which just happened to be directed by Sisworo Gautama Putra who also directed Satan's Slave.  This is the second film from Putra that I've seen in this set so far and easily the best film.  I hate to say it again, but it's not as good as Satan's Slave but holy fuck was it still a lot of fun.  Like always, I want to thank Severin for sending this one over!

     The film follows a power being that gives it all up to become human.  She soon falls in love and starts a family but this idylic life is cut short when an evil witch and her cult discover who she really is.  They force her back into her original form which removes her from her family.  Heartbroken and alone, she sets out to kill everyone in the cult responsible for taking her family from her.  

     I will be hard pressed to find  better film in this set.  This is the kind of film that I'm looking for when I snag a Bollywood horror title from the 80s.  While this may be an Indonesian horror release from the late 80s, it was clearly inspired by Indian films of the time.  I enjoyed it for what it was and could see myself possibly revisiting it again if I ever want something to follow up Satan's Slave with.  The acting in this one is probably the most enjoyable out of the set so far.  The characters are very outlandish and generic but the cast really had fun in their roles.  They brought a great deal of energy to the scenes but the characters lack of depth and the cast's inexperience does make some of the intentional humor miss it's mark.  The story for this one is a bit predictable and unpolished but the eccentric characters and wild moments more than makes up for it.  I went into this one expecting it to be similar to the previous two films but I was wrong.  I found myself laughing at the fun characters even though I knew exactly where the story was going.  Honestly, if more time was spent in the writing process then this film would have been untouchable.  Finally, the film has some blood and some fun make-up effects but don't expect a gory affair that will stick with you for days after watching it.  We get some minimal practical effects and some entertaining make-up but that is about the extent of it.  The deaths are rather bland and just blend into the background.  Overall, Malam Satu Suro is a seriously fun supernatural Indonesian horror tale that did make me laugh a few times.  While it's not a film that I can see myself watching over and over again, I do see myself checking it out every couple of years.  Check it out.