Also known as Suzzanna: Malam Jumat Kliwon, this Indonesian horror movie is directed by Guntur Soeharjanto, and written by Tumpal Tampubolon, Ferry Lesmana and Sunil Soraya. The film stars Luna Maya, Achmad Megantara, Tio Pakusadewo and Sally Marcellina in prominent roles. The movie has a runtime of 132 minutes.
The 2023 movie is preceded by the 2018 Suzzanna: Buried Alive, and Suzzanna: Santet Ilmu Pelebur Nyawa follows it. This movie is a remake of the 1986 movie Malam Jumat Kliwon.
The movie follows Suzzanna (Luna Maya), who ends up married to an old landlord, Raden Aryo (Tio Pakusadewo), in need of an heir after her father rakes up a debt that he is unable to pay back. However, thanks to his first wife’s jealousy, she ends up under the curse of black magic that ends her life on the day that she is about to give birth. Not accepting her death, though, she comes back as a vengeful ghost dead-set on getting revenge against those who wronged her.
– The Review Does Not Contain Spoilers –
This Indonesian horror movie is your classic ghost taking revenge for the unjust they have faced. With some gory kills in the mix, the movie will prove to be fun to watch with friends, but very little more.
The problem with these movies is that they follow a very particular formula and rarely ever try to add anything more to the mix. The revenge always follows a particular thread, the antagonists always behave a certain way, and there’s always something that the protagonist/vengeful spirit/good guy has at stake that they are trying to protect. For this particular Indonesian horror, even the chills aren’t very chilly, and there’s an attempt at horror in the midst of creating a dark and gritty environment that gets lost in the night.
I was constantly left wondering about the need for the “funny” pair of bumbling idiots since they don’t invoke a sense of excitement or giggles and, in turn, muddle up a creepy environment. That being said, the movie is never able to elevate a moment wherein you are left glued to the screen in anticipation of what’s to come. You either always know what’s about to happen, or the stakes simply aren’t high enough to leave you reeling. There are long moments where Suzzanna tries to scare people around her, but it never sticks. She’s simply not scary and, in spite of being a vengeful ghost, is calmer than most people who are alive!
You expect a vengeful spirit to not wait for her revenge and be very angry about the circumstances of their death, but my god is Suzzanna one patient ghost. The movie goes on and on, fumbling around, trying to find something that will stick, but nothing ever does. You also won’t be able to understand some of the choices that the movie makes – I mean, why does a ghost need a place to stay? Is she planning on staying for a long time and creating a large family? There are several moments like this where the ghost’s motivations aren’t clear enough.
At 132 minutes, Suzzanna: Kliwon Friday Night is simply too long. The fact that it pads the runtime with unnecessary additions and stupid moments adds nothing to elevate the horror. Luna Maya, who has quite the rap sheet when it comes to horror movies, looks uncomfortable in this movie. She doesn’t act like she’s very angry that she gave birth from her back and then died. She constantly laughs weirdly, which gets annoying after the 10th time, and then does some light-throwing people around. Throughout the runtime, you will keep waiting for that one scene that makes this not a snoozefest and will come up empty-handed.
However, the cinematography is excellent, and there are some really nice practical effects as well. Suzzanna’s death scene is done really well and will creep you out. Everything after that is just a cliched mess with 0 scary moments. I think I was left the most baffled that people could not grasp the concept of trying to murder a ghost with knives – she literally was missing her back, guys. Come on. Also, hide the fake baby better, guys; come on.
Final Thoughts
This is a mess of a movie that is great for a fun and light-hearted night with friends. However, if you’re looking for shock, thrills and genuine scares, there’s nothing here that will keep you on the edge. The character motivations are a little wonky, and the comedy elements are unnecessary. However, the movie looks great, and you might laugh thanks to the sheer stupidity of everything.
The film is streaming on Netflix.
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