Sebelum Iblis Menjemput (2018)

Seven things that I have captured after watching Timo Tjahjanto's Sebelum Iblis Menjemput, or in English well known as May the Devil Take You.

1. Spooky environment

2. Fierce display by Pevita Pearce

3. Well-connected plot development

4. Unpredictable jump-scare

5. Surreal ghosts

6. Creepy, enigmatic background score

7. Mind-wrecking gore

Demons are everywhere. This is my take when watching through this film. Sebelum Iblis Menjemput stresses on old, retro environment which invites spooky and eerie feelings to our nerves. This formula is loosely adapted from another Indonesian horror film, Pengabdi Setan, whose timeline is based on the 80s. The creepy area of display helps a lot in raising goosebumps and offers more for audience to shut their eyes even before anything happens.

I think there are many talking points about this film. But I choose only seven and that too more than usually I would love to cite, five. Pevita Pearce portrayed a bad-ass and fierce character as Maya, well who ever assume that a decent and polite, never turn her back against her custom Tenggelamnya Kapal van der Wijck's Hayati could fulfill this character with sheer brilliance. In the movie itself, she exhibits a turnaround which from an insecure woman to an outrageous physics. Appreciated with kudos!

The movie's plot journey was intriguing and well-connected to each other even though there are certain parts that seems a bit slow, but the slowness actually pumps more on our adrenaline rush to imagine every single bad things that is going to appear afterwards. The plot evolution becomes tighter when arriving the last thirty minutes and sadly, even though there is no post-credit scene, you have to sit back and watch the amusement until the very last one. A twist, decent one.

Honestly saying, this film is not offering much jump-scares but I guarantee that every single occasion is really worth it. Because the real horror movie doesn't really emphasize on quantities of jump-scares but the qualities of it. And jump-scares don't exactly make you afraid, unless only to feel shocked, which is timid and unethical move by the makers. Being shocked doesn't mean that you're scared.

Ghosts. Sebelum Iblis Menjemput really 'menjemput' all kind of 'iblis' to showcase their ability in this film. You can see that all ghosts acted in this work are very realism and nailed it near perfection. Everything is crystal-clear in this movie, there are no such things as 'sometimes they are here, sometimes they are there'. Not at all. The camera movement is executed with smooth and tempting until you can actually see how those ghosts are moving.

I love the background score, period. I just think that when old musics are paired with pale, lifeless environment is just a perfect combo of creepiness. Using the same strategy like Pengabdi Setan, this technique really works in serving the audience every implication that they are going to experience in the movie. Twisting psychologically and mentally by only using background score is an outstanding idea to crumple your mind slowly yet deadly.

Timo Tjahjanto is always known as a helm who loves to spread bloods scattering everywhere in your room of mind. He sacrificed lots of innocent bloods in this magnum opus too, inventing them as a mind-wrecking gore which meets the genre of horror. Horror films don't need jump-scares, instead they thirst for bloods. Timo Tjahjanto ticks all the box for that. That scene of playing with the doll sums it all. He's exactly a gore beast.

Sebelum Iblis Menjemput is a kind of movie that you don't have to watch it at night in order to feel the horror vibe. This film can attract your goosebumps even in the bright daylight, calling the aura of creepy, eerie to be your companion through the journey of this film.

I am having so much fun in this excitement, enjoyed every single second that summons the feelings of scariness and could only shake my head and giggles uncomfortably when I was served with several dishes of goriness.

May the Devil Take You, 7.5/10.