🎬 Film Synopsis
Anak Kunti is a fokehlore film that explores a quintessential Indonesian ghost figure, the Kuntilanak, through the prisim of generational trauma and rural mystique. Directed by Bambang Drias, the film narrates a captivating story rooted in a mother’s funeral and the secrets that linger in the cursed village she leaves behind. It integrates vintage horror ingredients with a mother’s haunting death in her dreary village.
🧠 The Kuntilanak: Overview
The film is set in the 1990’s and follows Sarah Fitria, a boarding school student who is religiously inclined. She is on a quest to seek answers after being tormented by constant owl imagery–an animal featured in Indonesian folklore. From Wonoenggal, an eerily quiet moving town, she seeks for clues.
Along with her companions Azizah and Majid, a young doctor, Sarah pieces together rather sinister events such as the Covid-era riot claim explosion of her mother’s Wati’s delivering…of her being the Kuntilanak’s child. Slowly, the once evaporating supernatural phenomena becomes too much to ignore. To save herself and the people in the village, Sarah has to figure out the mystery before it’s too late.
🎭 Main Cast
- Gisellma Firmansyah as Sarah Fitria
- Abun Sungkar as Majid
- Wavi Zihan as Azizah
- Nita Gunawan as Wati
- Jajang C. Noer as Mbok Darmi
- Ruth Marini as Aminah
- Iwa K as Hasan
- Selvi Kitty as Linda
- Rendra Bagus Pamungkas as Karyo
🎞️Visual Style & Direction
Director Bong Drias harnesses the thick foliage and dimly lit spaces within Wonoenggal’s forests for capturing the deep sense of seclusion and terror. He crafts the film’s atmosphere and mood to evoke feelings of hostile isolation and relentless decay, incorporating reasons for agony. The film also uses faded earthy colors to underscore the despair-related feelings that the village exudes.
The use of slow pans and gratuitous lingering montages creates tension, guiding spectators through the narrative. For viewers to feel on edge, the cinematography employs whispers and mute screeches along with distant screams and disturbing silence seamlessly blending into the sound design.
🧩 Themes & Symbolism
🧬 Inheritance of Trauma
The narrative portrays unaddressed trauma and supernatural secrets that flow through a lineage like contagion as psychological phenomena.
🕯️ Faith vs Superstition
Religious teachings alongside the film’splot critique spiritual domains and local beliefs, exposing the interplay between the sacred and the obscene.
🌳 Apart from Sociability and Otherness
While reflecting on Sarah’s story, one notices the thorough alienation that comes with being different. This, as a matter of fact, is the reason why she continuously struggles with her identity and the distrust the villagers harbor towards her.
📝 Critical Reception
Anak Kunti has received somewhat mixed to positive reviews, with praise directed at the atmospheric storytelling and inclusion of the culture in the work. Critics, however, had comments on the following:
Strengths:
Gisellma Firmansyah and Jajang C. Noer’s performances were compelling.
Folkloric renditions of the Indonesian Kuntilanak added a different angle to the myth.
The production design was complete and believable.
Weaknesses:
There are some repetitive scenes during the second act, resulting in pacing issues.
Some plot twists were heightened and thus lost their impact, especially for hardcore horror fans.
📌 Final Verdict: Should You Watch Anak Kunti?
Fans of folk horror, and those who explore the Southeast Asian tales, Anak Kunti would be a haunting addition to their collection. This does not mean the film seeks to revive the genre, but it makes a statement through identity, heritage, and the struggles and shadows of the past.
Watch it if:
✔ You enjoy horror that is ambient and folklore based.
✔ You wish to explore Indonesian culture and mythology.
✔ You enjoy character-driven tales with dash of the supernatural.
Skip it if:
❌ You are a fan of rapid paced, jump-scare filled horror.
❌ Concise high-concept or avant-garde storytelling is what you seek.
🎯 Bottom Line
Anak Kunti (2025) is an innovative horror movie that captures the moody atmosphere of the legend of Kuntilanak and delves into more profound issues such as trauma, identity, and the supernatural. It is an able work of Indonesian Cinema and will surely grab the attention of people who want to discover the dark and thrilling things it has to offer.