Satan’s Slave is a 1980 Indonesian horror film about a wealthy family whose lives unravel after the death of the mother. Strange supernatural events begin to plague the household, including ghostly apparitions, mysterious deaths, black magic, and the arrival of an unsettling housekeeper.
The plot blends Indonesian folklore, zombie-like revenants, occult practices, and religious themes into a classic haunted-house narrative.
This international hit later inspired the acclaimed 2017 belated prequel, Satan’s Slaves, directed by Joko Anwar and its sequel, Satan’s Slaves 2: Communion.
The movie was directed by Sisworo Gautama Putra (Savage Terror; The Hungry Snake Woman) from a screenplay co-written with Naryono Prayitno and Imam Tantowi.
The Rapi Films production stars Ruth Pelupessi, W.D. Mochtar, Fachrul Rozy, Simon Cader, Siska Widowati, H.I.M. Damsyik, Diana Suarkom and Doddy Sukma.
Plot [contains spoilers]:
After Mawarti dies from a mysterious illness, her husband Munarto and their children, Tomi and Rita, struggle to cope with the loss.
Soon, Tomi begins seeing visions of his dead mother, while a fortune teller warns him that the family is in grave danger. As fear grows, a mysterious housekeeper named Darminah arrives to care for the household.
A series of terrifying events follows. Family friends and servants die under bizarre circumstances and return as undead figures. Tomi discovers that Darminah is connected to dark supernatural forces and secretly meets with the risen dead in a cemetery.
When the family investigates, they realise that Mawarti herself has been resurrected and is being used as part of a satanic scheme.
The climax reveals that Darminah is a demonic servant who targets people whose faith has weakened. As the undead close in, an Islamic religious leader and his followers arrive to confront the evil forces.
Through prayer and recitation of Qur’anic verses, the demons and zombies are defeated and dragged back to Hell. However, the film ends on an ominous note, suggesting that evil may not be gone for good…
Our review:
Pengabdi Setan contains some ethereal nightmare scenes and an overt synth score that elevates it beyond many of the meretricious Asian supernatural movies of its era. Indonesian films were always more delirious than their Hong Kong counterparts and less simplistically Sadean than Japanese movies.
Aside from a brief and suitably tacky disco scene, there are scenes of Jean Rollin-like cinematic poetry, which, combined with some imagery typical of the bluntness of Far East cinema, makes Pengabdi Setan a whole lot more interesting. It’s something of a mess yet the overall result is captivating. A big afro-haired witch and some odd-looking zombies ensure that the finale is daft yet thoroughly entertaining.
Plus, there is a glorious moment for seasoned global horror fans when a copy of the British magazine House of Hammer (retitled Halls of Horror) is glimpsed; it was apparently forbidden in Indonesia at the time.
Ade J Smith, MOVIES & MANIA
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Original title:
Pengabdi Setan “Devoted to Satan”
Cast and characters:
Ruth Pelupessy … Darmina (as Ruty Pellupessy)
W.D. Mochtar … Munarto
Fachrul Rozy … Tommy (as Fahryl Rozi)
Simon Cader … Herman (as Simon Kader)
Siska Widowati … Rita (as Siska Karabety)
H.I.M. Damsyik … Karto (as I.M. Damsyik)
Diana Suarkom … Mawati
Doddy Sukma … Ulama
Ali Albar
Adang Mansyur (as Adang Mansjur)
Moesdewyk
S. Parya (as S. Paria)
Dewi … Secretary
Trailer:
Free to watch online on YouTube [click auto-translate for subtitles]:
Related:
SATAN’S SLAVES Joko Anwar’s Indonesian horror prequel – reviews
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