Indonesian horror movies have gotten so much better over the last 10 years. In fact, some of my favorite in the genre have come out of Indonesia. This movie, however, was either incorrectly billed as one or something went really wrong in the horror department, because what we are left with is a family drama with a few (and I stress FEW) scary elements that make it more like a Lifetime Channel mystery than something that will potentially scare you.
The story is simple enough; girl goes into jungle to get something for her mothers birthday, girl gets lost, girl comes back and isn't the same. We've seen it before, and this movie breaks no new ground. But it didn't need to be as mundane as it ended up being. I mean, there are large parts of the movie that were a straight up drama, and I don't know about anyone else, but the last thing I want to see in any scary movie is a bunch of people crying about regret. It seems like someone wrote a script about a family as a drama, and someone else came in and said "Let's add some scary things to it!". It's really disjointed as many of the elements that are supposed to invoke fear just end up falling flat.
While the movie fails in the terror department, the acting is extremely well done and you really come to care for some of the characters, in particular the Father and mother of the young girl. They showed real emotion and it can be felt through the screen, which is a testament to their acting ability. (I watched this film subtitled, not dubbed.)
Lastly, the cinematography and camera work made for a visually aesthetic film that was clean, clear and didn't hide anything that was transpiring. In fact, the cinematography was the best thing about this movie, as it yielded a very visually pleasing end result. I truly enjoyed seeing the Indonesian village and market, the jungle that surrounds it, and the interiors of the many homes.
Overall, while this film is by no means a true horror movie, if you watch is as a family drama about a missing girl, it might be entertaining for you. It's a sweet story about the love that parents have for their children, and the pain they feel when that child is no longer with them. The ending was also emotionally affecting, and made me glad I stuck with the movie to the end.
If you're looking to be scared, this is not the film to do it. But if you can find the story as emotionally engaging as I did, you might not be totally disappointed.
