Wanita Ahli Neraka Review: Indonesian Horror Packs an Impactful Punch

In this Indonesian horror film, Farah, a devoted and pious woman steadfast in her beliefs, gets married to Wahab in order to be a dedicated wife and go to Heaven in accordance with her religious beliefs. However, when she realises that Wahab has made a dangerous deal that turns her married life into Hell, she must choose to fight and get back her autonomy or destroy herself in servitude to her husband.

The film has a runtime of 95 minutes.

Wanita Ahli Neraka Review

This Indonesian horror is one of the new movies on OTT. Although there’s not much merit in its scares, I think the film does a good job of bringing the blatant patriarchy and sad state of affairs of women to the forefront. It’s quite forceful in its showcase of women’s struggles in society and the brainwashing that takes place day in and day out to turn women into perfect wives first and set them up to be abused at the hands of their husbands.

In Wanita Ahli Neraka, Farah, a young woman who has yet to get into college, chooses to get married to Wahab because it will help her to get into Heaven, a concept that is not only far-fetched but also something that no one has technically ever seen. Working towards a future that may or may not exist, she gives up a chance for higher education but, on the outside, Wahab seems to be an attentive and loving husband… at first. Soon, she starts to experience these odd supernatural situations which she chalks up to nightmares and whatnot. But, of course, her husband has something to do with this mess that she now has to fight out of at no fault of her own.

The merging of social issues with horror is not a new concept, especially in Indonesian horror movies. Wanita Ahli Neraka, however, sells its parallels well — showcasing a horrifying reality for Farah who is completely dependent on her husband. It also doesn’t help that she constantly listens to scriptures online that hammer down the fact that her existence is to dedicate herself to her husband and thus breaking out of this mould is a difficult venture and an uphill battle.

Either way, I think the film could’ve done away with the silly horror sequences and made an impactful social drama feature. Of course, horror has its own charms and probably gets more eyeballs but I think it takes away from the important messaging that the film tries to show us. The chilling sequences of Farah being groomed and brainwashed are nothing short of terrifying and a random demon woman screaming and laughing at random times is stupid and uneventful at this point.

Febby Rastanty is fantastic as Farah. She has an innocence about her that works well in the context of her character and thankfully her character isn’t instructed to scream very much. She is actually quite the relatable protagonist and you root for her throughout. Since the viewers are able to understand the problem that poor Farah will face in the near future, the film is all the more intense. The film is definitely horrifying in a sense, but its supernatural elements do not work at all. Oka Antara, as Wahab, is equally impactful as the manipulative and controlling husband with a supernatural streak and leaves you feeling uncomfortable at every point.

Final Thoughts

Wanita Ahli Neraka is one of those latest moves on OTT that is impactful thanks mostly to Febby Rastanty’s portrayal of Farah. She sells her role extremely well and leaves an impression on you. Although the supernatural elements do not work, I think the film does a fantastic job of delivering its social message.

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