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Grave Torture (2024)

Grave Torture (2024)

An impactful psychological horror that makes religious heresy its theme and final monster

7.5

Movie

Indonesia
Indonesian
Drama, Horror, Thriller
2024
JOKO ANWAR
Ahmad Ramadhan Alrasyid, Christine Hakim, Egy Fedly
117 min

TLDR

I usually look away at graphic horror scenes, but I couldn’t with that ending.

What it's about

After her parents’ gruesome death, Sita (Faradina Mufti) makes it her life’s mission to prove that punishment to the dead, or grave torture, is mere superstition.

The take

A sappy expository start like that only makes you suspicious how quickly all hell breaks loose, and boy does that distrust get rewarded. Grave Torture firmly blends religion and the supernatural, with the overarching theme being an exploration of the guilt-inducing belief that questioning faith is tantamount to having no faith, and having no faith leads to punishment. Getting from point A to point B is not the one of the film’s strengths, sometimes feeling like it’s just floating disjointedly. Even then, it nails every violent landing with visceral, satisfying impact. Religion isn’t just some distant theme, it’s our final monster.

What stands out

That unsettling suppressed sound design has to be commended.

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