Another Indonesian argument for why that country is currently producing the best horror on the market. This film reminded me of an earlier 2020 entry: Death of Me, but… Good. Competently and sharply executed, this movie is effective where that movie was awful while overlapping in tone and theme. While there are moments of visceral and physical horrors, these are fleeting and often only briefly glimpsed, with most gore and grotesqueries saved for the viewer’s imagination. The majority of the film’s intensity comes from paranoia and pursuit in a strange location, with some effective performances and use of location. The film takes the opportunity to showcase the natural splendor of rural countryside, before embracing the alienation and unsettling nature of being in a strange location surrounded with potentially dark motives. There are scenes in this film with an absolutely perfect buildup of atmosphere, tension, and payoff, but unfortunately this film can’t maintain the level of horror consistently. The major issue is one of pacing: watching this film feels like watching someone learning to drive. Things lurch forward, then settle back, then jolt forward again while everyone within the ride incurs whiplash. The opening is jarring and promises intensity, then the next act unwinds a sluggish pace. The tone wavers throughout, as does the tone and feel, but this becomes particularly jarring in the last act where every bit of momentum drops for repeated flashbacks of increasing duration amidst exposition dumps. These moments detract severely from the last act’s revelations and moments that should have been impactful lose effectiveness. Regardless, this movie demonstrates a willingness and commitment to exploring dark corners hollywood studios wouldn’t dare shine a light.
Impetigore (2020)