It's an effort to watch this movie, mainly because of the long queues, even when I caught it in Kuala Lumpur. I'm glad I endured the queue.
This is a very fresh and creative take on what's deemed as more than just an urban legend - Kuntilanak is a make-believe ghost that has shaped the society and culture of Indonesia for generations. Grandmothers talk about her to their naughty grandchildren to scare them. Definitely, Kuntilanak is an icon very close to everybody who grew up in Indonesia. This fact could be a burden for the filmmakers. If they made the easiest way - that is merely visualizing all the old ladies's tale - "Kuntilanak" could have easily fallen to the "predictable" or "rotten" category.
Yet, both the director and writer did not chose the easy way.
"Kuntilanak" follows a chapter in a young girl's life. With her, the audience is brought to a lot of revelations of what or who "actually" is Kuntilanak. It connects with an ancient Javanese chant. It also connects with the girl's identity. Moreover, Kuntilanak here does not kidnap little kids as what our grandmothers always say. Kuntilanak kills her victims horribly.
The captivating story is then packaged in a very stunning art direction, and brought to life by great talents such as Julie Estelle (the lead actress), and Alice Iskak.
"Kuntilanak" does not stand out only among other new Indonesian horror flicks. Due to its faithfulness to the genre, and delightful storytelling, "Kuntilanak" is among the best new Indonesian movies. It should be considered another milestone.
I believe "Kuntilanak" has set a new standard for upcoming Indonesian horrors.
