Susuk: The Curse of Beauty, 2023
This is an Indonesian horror movie of director Ginanti Rona. This movie producer is Visinema Pictures and also Legacy Pictures. Susuk: The Curse of Beauty had their premieres in theaters last August 31, 2023.
The Cast Lists
Hana Malasan performed as Laras
M.N. Qomaruddin performed as Ustad Rahmat
Ersya Aurelia performed as Ayu
Muhammad Abbe performed as Kresno
Whani Darmawan performed as Damar
Sheina Hafsah performed as Laras kecil
Muhammad Khan performed as Prasetyo
Jourdy Pranata performed as Arman
Banyu Bening performed as Rangga
Brilliana Arfira performed as Sari
Zaellyn Aiza performed as Ayu kecil
Elang El Gibran performed as Seno
Izabel Jahja performed as Ratri
Mike Lucock performed as Desmond
Story Outline
Laras wanted to quit his work of being a prostitute and enhanced his relationship with Ayu, his sister. But, an accident make Laras rejected by passing and keeps on being trapped in death. The body of Laras keeps on living; however, his body also starts to rot just like a normal corpse. Escorted by Arman, Ayu searched for the different ways to heal Laras. Arman and Ayu visited Damar, the village head who assisted Ayu and Laras after the passing of their parents. Then, they meet up Ustad Rahmat, the religious head who understood the declining effects of implants. In the end, they asked for assistance from Prasetyo, the shaman. But, it happens that the implants in the body of Laras is not one ordinary implant, where the body of Laras is increasingly decaying and making more terror for Arman, Ayu, and the rest of the villagers.
Writer’s Observation
The movie was really nice with good acting and good jump scares, however, a major drawback had been darkness. The evening horror scenarios that are in abundance had been really dark that you would not almost see anything over the screen. They should execute this movie in acceptable lights. Leaving this, the plot was well executed. The story about the magical curse on the woman because of susuk is a ritual that will make someone beautiful. But, it came by its own setting of problems as the darker demons attached to susuk wreaked havoc over the little village.
The movie plot that revolves around the prostitute being thrown off the building, her sister routing to the amulet to rescue her, unwittingly unleashing the threat on the family and of course of the town, and with a fairly exclusive premise, the unfolding circumstances of the movie was so intriguing. All of the acting had been excellent, and the scenarios felt authentic. This movie horror elements shines, despite the occasional CGI smoke. Strong, gory kills are superbly executed, complemented by the effective use of lightings and shadows for the reveals. The corpses had been solid as well. While well-paced, there are some elements, mainly in the reactions and the decision-making, really felt a little bit corny. The finale with the eye-rolling fight scenario, but a really fantastic transformation, shows frustration. And to conclude with that, the movie has redeeming qualities and with too many misses, which make it an average add-on to the genre of horror, but it is a recommended movie to watch.
