Joko Anwar‘s Pengabdi Setan or Satan’s Slaves brings in the scares typically expected from Horror, Mystery movies with a flair that’s gripping and at the same time creepy since the cinematography and the atmosphere pretty much fits the movie.
You have stellar performances across the aboard most especially from the lead’s Tara Basro who delivers a believable performance as Rini. The eldest among siblings who doesn’t believe in the supernatural but is faced with an ongoing onslaught of unexplainable events from the movie’s start till the end.
I also want to commend Endy Arfian‘s acting. He plays Tony, the second eldest among the four and is the less serious, and a bit more happy-go-lucky among the characters. He’s able to bring in the lighter aspects of the film with his semi-skeptic views with what’s happening to them. He also brings in a believable performance as someone who’s slowly understanding the seriousness of their situation and is supposed to be able to be the counter balance to Basro‘s Rini.
Overall, Satan’s Slaves brings in the fear with the mix of jump scares from Horror films. The shock value does tend to lose it’s impact as the movie continues on. What I really like though is the twists the movie has which are surprising and unexpected at the same time. And the way the world is built around this one incident, I think Joko Anwar will be able to build more on the world Satan’s Slaves has and the surprising but foreboding future for the characters yet it’s still a film that can stand on it’s own.
While not perfect, Satan’s Slaves is a movie that allows you to feel evil and horror even after the movie ends. If you’re a fan of the genre, you need to definitely watch the movie.
Satan’s Slaves is brought to us locally by Rafaella Films International.