Siksa Neraka is a 2023 Indonesian supernatural horror film that depicts young people suffering in Hell due to their sinful ways. The title translates into English as “Hell’s Torture”.
Directed by Anggy Umbara (I Know When You’re Dead: Suicide Village; Khanzab; Bloodlust Beauty; Satu Suro; Suzzanna: Buried Alive) from a screenplay written by Lele Laila (Badarawuhi di Desa Penari; Siska Neraka; Sijjin; Ivanna; Asih 2; KKN Di Desa Penari; Danur 3: Sunyaruri; Asih; Danur 2: Maddah; Danur: I Can See Ghosts) based on a comic book by M.B. Rahimsyah. Produced by Dheeraj Kalwani. The special visual effects were provided by Mattebox Studios.
The Dee Company-PT Umbara Brothers Film production stars Safira Ratu Sofya, Kiesha Alvaro, Ariyo Wahab, Nayla D. Purnama, Rizky Fachrel, Astri Nurdin, Slamet Rahardjo, Ingrid Widjanarko, Wina Marino and Joseph Kara.
Plot:
One night, on their way to the opposite village without their parents knowing, Saleh and his younger siblings were swept away by a strong river current and disappeared. Saleh then woke up in another realm, the Hell that his father always talked about…
Review:
One thing I dislike about religious horror movies is when they get very heavy-handed with their messaging. And while the message in this movie is about as subtle as a sledgehammer, I have to admit that I enjoyed how it did it.
When it comes to religious horror movies, Indonesia pumps out more than anyone else combined. And while I have no statistics to back up that claim, it’s how it feels to me. From Pengadbi Setan (Satan’s Slaves) to KKN in The Dancing Village, religion is the key element of movies where over 90% of the population is Muslim.
Yes, there are exceptions like Keramat 2, The Doll series and Ivanna, tho by and large it’s all about religion, which is enough to put most people off watching more than fifteen minutes. And that was almost me but there was something that lured me in and made me want to keep watching, and it was most likely to do with its translated title: Hell’s Torture!
Yeah, so like I said, not very subtle; this movie definitely aims to fearmonger its audience, and if reports from Indonesia are correct, apparently there was a huge uptick in younger people rushing to mosques to beg for forgiveness!
I enjoyed the scenes that were set in hell showing the torture being applied to the teens. It’s a little over the top, and the effects are rather average, but it doesn’t hold back with plenty of tongues being cut off, arms being ripped apart and a young girl repeatedly hanging herself.
All of the torturing that the teens experience is linked to the so-called evil actions they perform in real life. Without giving away any spoilers, these young teens are not the angels their parents think they are. But as mentioned, it’s very heavy-handed and I can see how someone who takes their religion seriously would be genuinely spooked by what they see on screen.
One thing that annoyed me in this film, and it’s something I’ve seen in many Indonesian horror movies is scenes where people are grieving the dead body in the family home, and when there are random people who mention quite nasty things about the deceased in front of family members. Doesn’t this go against the concept of the film?
There is also a strong message here about parents needing to be more attentive to their children to ensure they are kept on a righteous path. Still, unfortunately, that message gets lost by the focus on the non-haram deeds performed by the children instead andthus I feel the parents get off far too lightly in this film.
So, it’s an interesting film. I enjoyed it but perhaps for the wrong reasons. If you enjoy
light torture performed on teenagers, then this movie has you covered. If you want to watch something that will scare you into following your religion more closely, then this movie also has you covered. For the rest of us, we’ve seen better Indonesian horror movies.
The Arty Dans – For more of Dan’s reviews visit his website
YouTube review:
Teaser:
Teaser reaction [Indonesian no English subtitles]:
Red band 4K UHD trailer [gentle to start but be warned…]:
Preview in Indonesian [no English subtitles]:
Release date:
In Indonesia, Siksa Neraka was released in cinemas on December 14, 2023.
External reviews of Siksa Neraka:
Montase Film [translated from Indonesian]
Sinemalogi [YouTube]
More movies by Anggy Umbara:
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