Primbon is a 2023 Indonesian horror film about a young woman who goes missing in the forest so her family presume she is dead. But she returns…
Directed by Rudy Soedjarwo (Denting Kematian; Return of the Devil’s Child; 13: The Haunted; 40 Hari Bangkitnya Pocong; Pocong and Pocong 2) from a screenplay written by Lele Laila (Pemandi Jenazah; Siska Neraka; Sijjin; Ivanna; Asih 2; KKN Di Desa Penari; Danur 3: Sunyaruri; Asih; Danur 2: Maddah; Danur: I Can See Ghosts).. Produced by Yoen K and executive produced by Enden Kartawijaya.
The Cakra Film-Maxima Pictures-Maxstream Original production stars Happy Salma, Nugie [sic], Flavio Zaviera, Chicco Kurniawan, Azela Putri, Jajang C. Noer, Oppie Andaresta, Septian Dwi Cahyo and Ony Serojawati Hafiedz.
Plot:
It all started with Rana and his friend Janu embarking on a mountain climbing trip amidst unfavourable weather. Amid the dense forest, they got separated and lost. Fortunately, Janu managed to make it back home eventually, but not Rana. A massive search operation was carried out, but Rana could not be found.
A week passes, and Rana’s extended family decide to hold a prayer gathering (‘tahlilan’) as they believe it is unlikely for Rana to have survived and assume he has perished. However, Dini, as a mother, can’t accept it. She refuses to give up and continues to believe that her daughter Rana is still alive. And indeed, after the prayer gathering, Rana returns home in the pouring rain. Dini, her husband Banyu, and their youngest daughter Tari joyfully welcomed Rana’s return.
However, the larger family did not share the same joy. Living by the guidance of superstitions, they believed that the person who returned was not human. A conflict arose between Dini, who believed that the person who came back was indeed her daughter Rana, and the extended family. The only way to prove the truth was via a ‘ruwat’ ceremony. Was Rana truly deceased? And who was the person who returned home?
Our review:
A young girl goes missing in the forest with her friend while trying to create a birthday surprise for her mother. After a week, her body has yet to be recovered and her family perform a type of burial ritual, but while arguing over what date her death should be officially recorded as she returns in a state of shock.
Her aunties fear that the girl who has returned is not their real niece due to their readings of the Primbon book and the predictions that it has foretold about the family. After a series of creepy events, it is decided that a cleansing ritual must be performed.
According to a Wikipedia article that was probably badly translated the Primbon is some kind of book used by the Javanese to predict someone’s fortune, kind of like a horoscope.
The movie uses the elements of the Primbon to build its story up about how the mother and father are incompatible and the girl who goes missing was born on a day that’s shrouded her life in bad luck.
So you can kind of see where this is going. A bunch of hysterical people not making any sense to anyone not familiar with how this all works, and in the end, what we get is a very confusing movie that doesn’t explain why certain things happen.
For example – why does the girl return? I thought it had to do with the fact that everyone was arguing about her date of death, and thus she returns so they can find her body and put her to rest. But is that the reason she returns? And why is it that only the creepy things happen to the people who believe in the Primbon, and not everyone else? And what’s with all the possession scenes at the end?
On a positive note, some of the make-up effects are decent, but considering this movie is from the director of the excellent and banned Pocong movie from 2006, I expected a lot more. There are so many great Indonesian horror movies out there, that this movie ends up being a bit of a waste of time for a non-Indonesian audience. It’s a curiosity, but not a must-watch.
The Arty Dans, MOVIES & MANIA
Other reviews:
“I did like the fact the family drama did bring out the characters really well. Apart from that I thought it was beautifully shot, the location was gorgeous, and the acting was really good, with some really nice creepy moments. I enjoyed the overall storyline and had a lot of fun watching it.” 6 out of 10, Icocleric
“The movie makes the mistake of combining melodrama with horror. When Tari (Azela Putri) remembers how she and Rana used to have noodles during the good old days or when a mother, in tears, says she misses her child, Primbon becomes dreadfully dull to such an extent that it stops dead in its tracks. The momentum slowly dissipates, and the viewer starts to become restless.” 3.5 out of 10, Midgard Times
“The restricted nature behind everything adds a human element to the world we are walking into. We get strong performances that add to the overall mystery we experience here. Primbon is an unsettling, creepy and uncomfortable horror movie.” ★★★ Movie Reviews 101
YouTube reviews:
Teaser:
Trailer:
Release:
In Indonesia, Primbon was released on August 10, 2023. It is now streaming on Netflix.
Filming locations:
Klaten, Central Java, Indonesia
Technical specs:
1 hour 28 minutes
Audio: Dolby Digital
Aspect ratio: 2.35: 1
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