KERAMAT AND THE WRATH OF NATURE.

 

This found-footage horror movie is one of the best Indonesian horror movies. Not your typical cheap jump-scare, this movie would make your skin crawls and remind you that after all, we are not alone in this world.

Spoiler ahead, the movie starts with a crew of filmmakers on their destination to make the movie. And for the sake of behind the scene documentation, all filming including the road trip recorded by the so-called behind the scene team or in short BTS team.

Tension already arises at the beginning of the film, as the director aims for perfection because she wants it to be listed in festivals and there is slight hope for an award too because she is a perfectionist.

The story then moved to a train station, while the crew is waiting for their train. But alas, the train gets delayed and they are late. The main actress, Migi, is sick during the trip and they finally arrived at Yogyakarta.

While in the car, a strange man is yelling Migi’s father's name and it freaks them out. Not long they arrive at the homestay. A very large house and very traditional. The crews are settling there. At midnight, they are disturbed by the sound of someone crying and checked outside. When they are checking around the house, there is some strange sound coming from the tree outside, the wailing sound of a woman. But they find nothing and assume that one of them is playing a prank.

The next morning they continue filming the scene, but because the main actress not feeling well, the filming not went out so great. So it resulted in the director lashing out at everyone and especially at the main actress. This turn down the whole mood of the crew and halted the filming. Then they decided to go out to lighten the mood. But when the filming crew goofing around, they got scolded again by the director.

On the way home, they are goes separated, and the car where behind the scene crew and the main actress inside, got lost, and then they are arriving late. This just makes the director rage and let out nasty insults to everyone.

After, that the main actress is getting sicker, and they stopped filming for a while. The angry director then storm out in rage because everyone didn’t support her and let out some hateful speech. 

Everyone is worried about the main actress's condition which is worsening over time, but when they want to take her to the hospital, they can’t do it because her body is very heavy. Even after a few strong men do it, they can’t lift her. And her body is so cold and pale. And the man who rented the house said she is not sick but possessed. Turn out the main actress is being possessed by some entity that likes her and it was her descendant. The one who possessed her wanted to help her from misery, she said that humans are getting evil and that nature will get revenge on them. And after they are confident that the ghost is gone, turns out the ghost is not gone but has taken the main actress to a different realm. 

It caused chaos among them, and they blamed each other for her disappearance. Then the shaman told them they should go pick her up in the other realm. They should go through a gate on the beach. And suddenly they got pulled and woke up in the other realm and a dark forest.

In the forest, they saw a few sightings of ghosts who warn them about how humans disrupted the flow of nature and that nature will take revenge upon them, the same words said earlier about the ghost who possessed the main actress. The ghost said they only have until sunrise to get out of the forest or they would be trapped there forever.  From there on, terror begin attacking each one of them and they got the fated end they deserved. Being separated into two groups, the crew one by one disappeared and then left 3 people, that is BTS team and the main actress.

They almost get out of the forest before sunrise but there is a big earthquake stopping them. And it appears they too would be trapped in there forever.

This is why I could say that Keramat is one of the scariest horror movies in Indonesia. As an Indonesian and Javanese, since I was little, I am surrounded by myths, legends, and ancient culture that is told in the movie. And this movie portrayed this perfectly.

the movie is being filmed in sacred places since a long time ago. The beach in the movie is called Parangtritis Beach. It is being said that this beach is a gate through the other realm, as seen in the movie when the crew was on the beach and after that suddenly they are transported into the forest.

The resident also believed that this ocean is being occupied by “Ratu Pantai Selatan” an entity that was being told by generation, a powerful entity who rule the ocean. She is known as a beauty queen and has mighty strength too.

There are so many myths surrounding the queen, and she is feared among the locals because of her powerful power. And the story about her goes way back until a long time ago, and even the kingdom from the past and their victory in battle often being connected to her strength and her help and support toward the kingdom she holds within.

The myth of Nyi Roro Kidul is one of the most well-known legends in Indonesian culture. According to the myth, Nyi Roro Kidul is a powerful and beautiful queen of the Southern Sea, who is said to be both alluring and dangerous. She is often depicted wearing a green or blue kebaya (traditional dress) and a golden crown adorned with pearls.

The legend says that Nyi Roro Kidul is capable of granting wishes and bringing good fortune to those who honor and respect her, but also of causing misfortune and death to those who disrespect her or try to control her powers. She is believed to have the ability to lure men into the sea with her beauty and drown them, and to have a strong influence over the weather and the sea.

The legend of Nyi Roro Kidul has been passed down through generations and is still widely believed and respected in Indonesia, particularly in Java and Bali. Many people make offerings and perform rituals in her honor, especially during the Javanese month of Sura, which is believed to be her month.

The myth of Nyi Roro Kidul has also inspired many works of art, including music, literature, and film. It is a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Indonesia and the enduring power of myths and legends in shaping our beliefs and traditions.

And because of her strength toward nature such as the ocean and forest, the connection between her and nature in this movie is inevitable, because the entity in the forest who warns the group about the wrath of nature is similar to her and her follower.

Maybe it is the natural course of the culture in Indonesia which is so immersed with dark magic and dark forces around them so every mystical and horror aspect in this movie is conveyed greatly and so dominant it scares the hell out of the audience. 

Anyway, I highly recommend this movie to any horror fans out there. Happy watching!