Macabre (2009)

Directed by: Kimo Stamboel, Timo Tjahjanto | 96 minutes | horror | Actors: Ario Bayu, Shareefa Daanish, Julie Estelle, Ruly Lubis, Daniel Mananta, Mike Muliadro, Arifin Putra, Dendy Subangil, Imelda Therinne, Sigi Wimala

What you get from afar is delicious. This old saying certainly applies to ‘Macabre’, because this filthy and crazy Indonesian slasher is nice and brutal and very rude. At least they’re not made like that in Hollywood!

In ‘Macabre’ you meet the group of friends around the pregnant Astrid. This young woman and her husband Adjie move to Australia to build a future there. Her sister Ladya and friends Alam, Eko and Jimmy accompany the couple to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. The mutual relations have been sharpened, because Astrid and Adjie leave. After a wild night out, the group decides to bring the stranded Maya home. The young woman thanks the group profusely and invites them to eat at her home. Maya’s mother Dara welcomes the guests with open arms. Though something isn’t right. Dara doesn’t look much older than her daughter…

Director duo Kimo Stamboel and Timo Tjahjanto has a lot of good ideas, but unfortunately a meager budget. The blood – which goes per liter – looks fake (read: watery). In addition, not all murders are clearly depicted. But when the duo goes full throttle, they really go far. Especially scenes with a chainsaw are not exactly gentle. It also features a pregnant woman who is not spared either. Just the fact that even pregnant women aren’t safe indicates that ‘Macabre’ isn’t holding back. Certainly stress-inducing.

The acting isn’t bad. The cast plays well and portrays the flat characters well. The fact that these are young adults – instead of teenagers – is already quite original for the genre. The absolute star of the film is Shareefa Daanish who portrays the deranged Dara in a very creepy way. When she is in the picture, she draws all the attention to herself. Her low voice and mysterious appearance enhance the atmosphere. Something isn’t right, but what?

Funnily enough, the devilish Dara even speaks a few sentences of Dutch. It has an alienating effect, because it comes out of nowhere. ‘Macabre’ is a clunky, hard-hitting horror film. So a nice business card. Hopefully this director duo will get a more generous budget next time.