Satan's Slaves Explained

Satan's Slaves
Native Name:Pengabdi Setan
Director:Joko Anwar
Screenplay:Joko Anwar
Based On:Satan's Slave (1980)
Story by Subagio S.
Starring:
  • Tara Basro
  • Bront Palarae
  • Ayu Laksmi
  • Endy Arfian
  • Nasar Anuz
  • Muhammad Adhiyat
  • Elly D. Luthan
  • Dimas Aditya
  • Arswendi Nasution
  • Timothy Joddy
  • Egi Fedly
Cinematography:Ical Tanjung
Editing:Arifin Cu'unk
Studio:
Distributor:
  • Rapi Films and CJ Entertainment (Indonesia)
  • RLJE Films (United States)
Runtime:107 minutes
Country:Indonesia
Language:Indonesian
Budget:Rp 2 billion[1]
($150,000)
Gross:$16.2 million[2] [3] [4]

Satan's Slaves (Indonesian: '''Pengabdi Setan''') is a 2017 Indonesian horror film written and directed by Joko Anwar. It is a loose remake-prequel to the 1980 film of the same name directed by Sisworo Gautama Putra based on a story by Subagio S. The plot follows a family who are haunted by the death of their mother, who dies after being bedridden for three years from a strange and debilitating illness.[5] [6] [7] [8]

Satan's Slaves was the highest-grossing Indonesian film of 2017 with 4.2 million admissions.[9] [10] [11] It was released in 42 countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Germany, and the United States.[12] [13] [8] [14] [15] A sequel, , was released in August 2022.

Plot

The film focuses on a struggling family living in the countryside in 1981: Mawarni, her husband Bahri, his mother Rahma, and the couple’s four children: 22-year-old Rini, 16-year-old Toni, 10-year-old Bondi, and six-year-old Ian, who is deaf. The family live amid financial hardship as Mawarni is ill and bedridden, and the royalties from her former singing career are long gone.

After Mawarni dies, the family are consoled by an ustad and his adult son Hendra, who recently moved to the neighbourhood. Bahri leaves to raise money for mortgage payments in town. At home, the children are haunted by a ghostly presence of Mawarni. Bondi and Rini then find their grandmother Rahma dead inside the well. After finding an unsent letter on Rahma's desk to a man named Budiman, Rini and Hendra deliver it to him downtown to seek his help. Budiman, an occult writer, reveals that when Bahri was going to marry Mawarni, Rahma did not approve due to Mawarni’s career and indications of infertility. Budiman gives Rini his article about a fertility cult of Satan worshippers that target barren women who want to have children, with the caveat that the last child be surrendered voluntarily in seven years. They fear for the safety of Ian, who turns seven in three days. The next day, when delivering an urgent letter from Budiman to Rini, Hendra gets run over by a truck.

Bahri decides to move to town with his children. At night, members of the cult surround the house as a storm rages, but after Bahri tells them he is unwilling to give up Ian, they leave. The moving van fails to show up the next day, forcing the family to stay another night, with the ustad keeping watch. Rini finally opens Budiman's letter, which explains that the last child will be taken by the cult because they are Satan’s own child. It also explains that the cultists' arrival the night before was simply to mark the house for the undead, who will pick up the child. Mawarni and several pocong appear, including Hendra, and kill the ustad. Ian, who just turns seven, cheerfully joins Mawarni and the pocong. Budiman arrives, evacuating Bahri and the other children.

One year later, Bahri and his family live in an apartment in town. A woman named Darminah comes over bringing food and later reports to her husband, who says they must make sure the family never leave. Darminah says it is "time for another harvest" and her husband tells her to be patient.

Cast

Production

Development

Director Joko Anwar had wanted to direct a remake of Pengabdi Setan ever since starting his film-making career, as the film had moved him to become a filmmaker. Rapi Films already had a remake of the film in the works with a different director attached, but Anwar managed to successfully pitch his own vision for the film to producer Sunil Samtani and was attached to the project soon after.[16] [17] Samtani granted the film a budget exceeding Rp 2 billion, far more than the average films produced by Rapi, in order to fully realize director Anwar's vision for production design.

Filming

The production team took four months to search for a filming location to accurately represent the 1980's era in which the film takes place. The original filming location was located in Puncak Bogor, West Java, but the owner did not give them the proper permissions to film there. The team continued searching until they found an old house in the Pangalengan area which they redesigned to fit the aesthetic of the era.

Music

Pengabdi Setan
Original Soundtrack
Type:Soundtrack
Artist:Various artists
Released:2017
Genre:Soundtrack
Label:Music Kickup

The film soundtrack is directed by Aghi Narottama, Tony Merle, and Bemby Gusti. Director Joko Anwar said that there are at least five songs that will be on the album plus 16 others so there will be a total of 21 tracks. Three of them were released on October 19, 2017, on Spotify and iTunes.[18] [19]

Release

Satan's Slaves premiered in Indonesia at the Epicentrum XXI, Kuningan, South Jakarta on September 20, 2017.[20] The film was released in all Indonesian cinemas on September 28, 2017, and in Malaysia and Singapore on November 23, 2017.[21] The film also to be released in 42 countries.[3] [14] [22]

Reception

Box office

As of the end of 2017, Satan's Slaves has grossed Rp155 billion ($11.5 million) in Indonesia,[2] and RM6 million ($1.5 million) in neighboring Malaysia,[3] the latter country giving it its place as the highest grossing Indonesian film of all time beating Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? 2s record collective gross of RM4.6 million in 2016.[23] In Mexico, it was released as Los Huerfanos and ranked at 6th place on Mexico Box Office on March 2–4, 2018; grossing $233,763 on its first weekend.[4] As of September 2, 2018, it grossed $147,962 in Colombia.[24] On April 3, 2018, it opened at No. 1 in Hong Kong.[25] Back in its home country in Indonesia, Satan's Slaves became the best-selling Indonesian film of 2017[26] as well as the best-selling Indonesian horror and fourth best-selling Indonesian film of all time.[27]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 90% approval rating based on 21 reviews, with an average rating of 6.80/10.[28]

John Lui of The Straits Times gave Pengabdi Setan 3.5 stars out of 5 and wrote that "the scares are carefully timed and spaced between plenty of character-building moments, showing the closeness of the family. These soap opera bits have aged the least well, but there is a low-key feel to these moments of filial piety that is thoroughly modern."[29] Varietys Richard Kuipers wrote that the film has "high marks when it comes to the fundamental horror movie task of sending shivers up the spine and quickening the pulse."[30] James Marsh of the South China Morning Post gave the film 3/5 stars, saying "a slow-burning tale that builds to a chaotic and somewhat muddled conclusion, Satan’s Slaves is bursting with ideas."[31] Jonathan Barkan of Dread Central gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5, writing "without a doubt, Satan's Slaves is certainly creepy. This Indonesian occult horror remake gets it right".[32] Writing for SciFiNow, Anton Bitel gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, saying "Mirrorings, repetitions and doppelgängers are fitting images for a film that is itself a reprise (with considerable variations) of Sisworo Gautama Putra’s 1980 film of the same name—the very film that inspired Anwar to become a writer/director of genre films."[33] Karina Adelgaard of Heaven of Horror gave it a top rating of 5 out of 5 when screening it during Fantasia 2018.[34] Later, Heaven of Horror also included the movie in their list of the best horror movies from the 2010s.[35]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryRecipient(s)/Nominee(s)Result
201737th Citra AwardsBest FilmSatan's Slaves
Best DirectorJoko Anwar
Best Adapted Screenplay
Best CinematographyIcal Tanjung
Best Film EditingArifin Cu'unk
Best Art DirectionAllan Sebastian
Best Visual EffectsHeri Kuntoro
Abby Eldipie
Best MakeupDarwyn Tse
Best Costume DesignIsabelle Patrice
Best SoundKhikmawan Santosa
Anhar Moha
Best Original ScoreAghi Narottama
Tony Merle
Bemby Gusti
Best Theme Song"Kelam Malam" by The Spouse
Best Child ActorMuhammad Adhiyat
20171st Tempo Film FestivalBest PictureSatan's Slaves
Best DirectorJoko Anwar
Best ActressTara Basro
Best Supporting ActorBront Palarae
Best Supporting ActressAyu Laksmi
Best ScreenplayJoko Anwar
Best Child PerformerMuhammad Adhiyat
Nasar Anuz
20176th Maya AwardsBest Feature FilmSatan's Slaves
Best DirectorJoko Anwar
Best Adapted ScreenplaySatan's Slaves
Best Actress in a Supporting RoleAyu Laksmi
Best CinematographyIcal Tanjung
Best EditingArifin Cu'unk
Best Art DirectionAllan Sebastian
Best Special EffectsFinalize Studios
Best Makeup & HairstylingDarwyn Tse
Best Costume DesignIsabelle Patrice
Best Sound DesignAnhar Moha
Khikmawan Santosa
Best Film ScoreAghi Narottama
Tony Merle
Bemby Gusti
Best Theme Song"Kelam Malam" by The Spouse
Best Young PerformerMuhammad Adhiyat
Nasar Anuz
Arifin C. Noer Award for Memorable Brief AppearanceJoko Anwar
2018Indonesian Box Office Movie AwardsBest Box Office MovieSatan's Slaves
Best DirectorJoko Anwar
Best Screenwriter
Best Actor in a Leading RoleBront Palarae
Best Actor in a Supporting RoleEndy Arfian
Best Actress in a Supporting RoleAyu Laksmi
Best NewcomerMuhammad Adhiyat
Best Movie PosterSatan's Slaves
Best Movie Trailer
Best Original Soundtrack"Kelam Malam" by The Spouse
Box Office Movie of the YearSatan's Slaves
Top 10 Box Office Movie of 2017
2018Overlook Film FestivalFeature Film Jury Prize
2018CinepocalypseBest DirectorJoko Anwar
2018Popcorn Frights Film FestivalJury Prize for Scariest FilmSatan's Slaves
2018Toronto After Dark Film FestivalBest Horror Film
Most Scary Film

Sequel

See main article: Satan's Slaves 2: Communion. In a 9 October 2017 interview with The Jakarta Post, director Anwar revealed that the film was a prequel to the original and that a sequel was planned, with the original film now being the third part in a trilogy.[16] On 18 December 2017, executive producer Sunil Samtani said Rapi Films has been discussing the project plan of the sequel of Pengabdi Setan. The film is planned for release in 2019 and Joko Anwar will still be involved.[36] On 23 March 2018, Samtani revealed that they had not come up with a script yet but filming would commence in 2019. He added that the stars of the existing film had expressed their interest but it's up to Anwar to decide on the actors.[37]

The first trailer for the sequel, titled Satan's Slaves: Communion, was released in February 2022, and the second trailer on June 16 the same year. The film was released theatrically on August 4, 2022.[38]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: 'Pengabdi Setan' Berbujet Lebih dari Rp2 Miliar. ‘Pengabdi Setan’' is budgeted more than Rp2 billion. CNN Indonesia. id. Endro. Priherdityo. 27 September 2017. 29 January 2018.
  2. Web site: Data Penonton 2017. Moviegoers Data in 2017. FilmIndonesia.or.id. id. 29 January 2018.
  3. News: Tayang di Malaysia, Film 'Pengabdi Setan' Raup 6 Juta Ringgit. Released in Malaysia, 'Pengabdi Setan' film got 6 million Ringgit. Kompas. id. Andi Muttya Keteng. Pangerang. 13 December 2017. 30 January 2018.
  4. Web site: Los Huerfanos (Satan's Slaves) - Mexico Box Office. Box Office Mojo. 2 March 2018. 21 March 2018.
  5. News: 'Pengabdi Setan': Right way to respect art and the past. The Jakarta Post. Dylan. Amirio. 30 September 2017. 22 January 2018.
  6. Web site: Joko Anwar Unveils "Satan's Slaves". Screen Anarchy. Todd. Brown. 12 June 2017. 22 January 2018.
  7. Web site: 'Pengabdi Setan': Film daur ulang dengan horor yang mencekam. ‘Pengabdi Setan’: Remake film with terrifying horror. Rappler. id. Valerie. Dante. 21 September 2017. 29 January 2018.
  8. News: For love of a classic horror. The Sun Daily. Bissme. S.. 22 June 2017. 30 January 2018.
  9. News: Rilis Sehari, "Pengabdi Setan" Raih 91.070 Penonton. One day release, "Pengabdi Setan" gained 91,070 viewers. Setiawan. Tri Susanto. Kompas. id. 29 September 2017. 1 October 2017.
  10. News: Wah, 7 Film Ini Paling Laris Sepanjang 2017. Wow, these are top 7 of best-selling Indonesian film of 2017. Setuningsih. Novianti. Jawa Pos. id. 24 December 2017. 30 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180131020337/https://www.jawapos.com/read/2017/12/24/177125/wah-7-film-ini-paling-laris-sepanjang-2017. 31 January 2018. dead.
  11. Web site: Data penonton tahun 2007-2022 . 2022-12-26 . filmindonesia.or.id.
  12. News: 5 December 2017. 'Pengabdi Setan' is the Best Selling Indonesian Movie in Malaysia. Tempo. 30 January 2018.
  13. News: Juniman. Puput Tripeni. 5 December 2017. 'Pengabdi Setan' Jadi Film Indonesia Terlaris di Malaysia. id. 'Pengabdi Setan' became Indonesian best-selling film in Malaysia. CNN Indonesia. 6 December 2017.
  14. News: Berjaya Pada 2017, Bukti Jika Film Horor Indonesia Akhirnya Berkelas. Glorified in 2017, proof that Indonesian horror movie are getting improved. Jawa Pos. id. Dhimas. Ginanjar. 18 December 2017. 30 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180131090857/https://www.jawapos.com/read/2017/12/18/175581/berjaya-pada-2017-bukti-jika-film-horor-indonesia-akhirnya-berkelas. 31 January 2018. dead.
  15. News: Gusur 'Warkop DKI Reborn Part 2', 'Pengabdi Setan' Jadi Film Terlaris 2017. Defeat 'Warkop DKI Reborn Part 2', 'Pengabdi Setan' became the best-selling film of 2017. Setiawan. Tri Susanto. Kompas. id. 7 November 2017. 12 November 2017.
  16. News: Joko Anwar spills the beans on 'Pengabdi Setan'. The Jakarta Post. Jessicha. Valentina. 11 October 2017. 30 January 2018.
  17. News: Perjuangan Joko Anwar Cari Lokasi Syuting 'Pengabdi Setan'. Joko Anwar struggle to find the location of filming 'Pengabdi Satan'. CNN Indonesia. id. Agniya. Khoiri. 26 September 2017. 30 January 2018.
  18. News: Album Film 'Pengabdi Setan' Segera Dirilis. The soundtrack album of 'Pengabdi Setan' to be released soon. Jawa Pos. id. 22 September 2017. 18 February 2018.
  19. News: Di Balik Musik Mencekam 'Pengabdi Setan'. Behind gripping music of 'Pengabdi Setan'. MetroTV. id. Agustinus Shindu. Alpito. 6 October 2017. 18 February 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180219032708/http://hiburan.metrotvnews.com/musik/MkMM6dmk-di-balik-musik-mencekam-pengabdi-setan. 19 February 2018. dead.
  20. Web site: 5 Alasan Joko Anwar Pilih Tara Basro Bintangi 'Pengabdi Setan'. 5 reasons Joko Anwar chose Tara Basro to star in 'Pengabdi Setan'. Bintang. id. Puput Puji. Lestari. 2 October 2017. 30 January 2018.
  21. Web site: 'Pengabdi Setan' Akan Tayang di Bioskop Malaysia dan Singapura. 'Pengabdi Setan' will be released in Malaysia and Singapore. Kompas. id. Tri Susanto. Setiawan. 11 October 2017. 30 January 2018.
  22. News: 'Pengabdi Setan' Jadi Primadona, Ini Deretan Film Horor Indonesia 2017. 'Pengabdi Setan' to be the most favorites, these are Indonesian horror films in 2017. News Media. id. Muhammad. Adi. 2 January 2018. 30 January 2018.
  23. Web site: Puput Tripeni Juniman. 'Pengabdi Setan' Jadi Film Indonesia Terlaris di Malaysia. CNN Indonesia. 14 February 2018. id. 5 December 2017.
  24. Web site: Los Huerfanos (Satan's Slaves) - Colombia Box Office. Box Office Mojo. 2 September 2018. 10 October 2018.
  25. News: 'Pengabdi Setan' opens at No. 1 in Hong Kong. The Jakarta Post. Liza. Yosephine. 3 April 2018. 26 April 2018.
  26. News: Lima film Indonesia terlaris sepanjang 2017. Top 5 of best-selling Indonesian films in 2017. Antara News. id. Nanien. Yuniar. 29 December 2017. 30 January 2018.
  27. News: Drama Dominasi Film Indonesia Terlaris Sepanjang Masa. Drama films dominate best-selling Indonesian films of all time. Jawa Pos. id. Dhimas. Ginanjar. 18 December 2017. 30 January 2018.
  28. Web site: Satan's Slaves (Pengabdi Setan) (2017) . Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. 1 August 2020.
  29. Web site: 'Satan's Slaves' serves up scare fest in a creepy old house. The Straits Times. John. Lui. 18 January 2018. 30 January 2018.
  30. Web site: Rotterdam Film Review: 'Satan's Slaves'. Variety. Richard. Kuipers. 30 January 2018. 30 January 2018.
  31. News: Satan's Slaves film review: Indonesian horror hit goes from haunted house to zombie apocalypse. South China Morning Post. Marsh. James. 19 March 2018. 21 March 2018.
  32. News: What The Fest!? 2018: Satan's Slaves Review – Indonesian Occult Horror Remake Gets it Right. Dread Central. Barkan. Jonathan. 2 April 2018. 3 April 2018.
  33. Web site: Satan's Slaves Film Review Cinepocalypse 2018. SciFiNow. Bitel. Anton. 23 June 2018. 25 June 2018.
  34. Web site: Adelgaard . Karina . 17 July 2018 . Satan's Slaves (5/5) . Heaven of Horror.
  35. Web site: Houmøller . Nadja . 23 May 2024 . The Best 2010s Horror Movies . Heaven of Horror.
  36. News: Produser Siapkan Proyek Sekuel 'Pengabdi Setan'. Producer prepares project sequel 'Pengabdi Setan'. MetroTV. id. Purba. Wirastama. 18 December 2017. 30 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180131023355/http://hiburan.metrotvnews.com/film/4ba7alZK-produser-siapkan-proyek-sekuel-pengabdi-setan. 31 January 2018. dead.
  37. Web site: The sequel of Pengabdi Setan film will be made in 2019 . 26 March 2018 . 11 July 2018.
  38. Web site: Soo . J. X. . 2022-06-16 . Watch the chilling trailer for Joko Anwar's 'Pengabdi Setan 2: Communion' . 2022-07-15 . NME . en.