Overview
Kuyang, an Indonesian supernatural horror film, will be released in 2024, directed by Yongki Ongestu and co-written by Achmad Benbela and Alim Sudio. It “blends ancient folklore with modern dread” and centers around a Kuyang, a disembodied female spirit that flies and preys on pregnant women, and women with unborn children. Kuyang draws from traditional Bornean and Sumatran myths, examining themes of maternal isolation, vulnerability, and psychosoical terror.
Set in the mystic rural and dark magical parts of the region, the film captures the essence of dread and chaos, combining an eerie atmosphere with supernatural horror elements. Dimas Aditya and Alyssa Abidin play the roles of Bimo and Sriatun, a couple surrounded by cultural mysticism and danger. Their performances are captivatingly emotional.
Plot Summary
In the film, we first meet Bimo, who has just started a job in a far-off village in the Bornean jungle. He is accompanied by his wife, Sriatun, who is in the late stages of pregnancy. Together, they hope the move will provide a clean slate, stability, and peace. Unfortunately, the village of Muara Tapah is the exact opposite of welcoming.
Right away, Sri sees strange things. She sees visions of a grotesque female head, floating with some of its insides trailing outside their home. She also sees shadows flickering outside their windows. No matter how hard Bimo tries to calm her, it is clear some very disturbing and evil force is present in the quiet village.
The locals, who are very reserved, seem to barely respond to any of the questions posed to them. Sri’s health also takes a turn, with her body becoming violent in its reaction, in some strange way. While Bimo looks for help, the village’s healer and shaman, Mina Uwe, crossed his path. Mina warns Bimo that his wife is very likely being hunted by a creature known as the Kuyang. A Kuyang, as she explains, is a creature of dark magic who preys upon expectant mothers and is the result of a dark curse. The story goes that the Kuyang is a woman who, for gaining powers to fly, parted with her head and would endlessly float around looking for her next victim.
As Bimo investigates incomprehensible deaths and possessions at the village school where Sri volunteers in the deteriorating Sri’s condition, he realizes there might be multiple supernatural beings involved. The old spirits Tambi Nyai and Bue Alang, ancient women rumored to have been powerful shamans themselves, are said to have placed a curse on the village long ago.
Soon, Bimo discovers a shocking truth—Mina the healer is either helping by channeling Kuyang or working to fulfill a sinister prophecy centered around Sri’s unborn child. With time ticking, Sri’s life on the line, Bimo has to navigate betrayal, spiritual lies, ancestral horror, and confront Kuyang to rescue his family.
Bimo faces challenges in overcoming disbelief and fear to confront the supernatural. The climax transpires during a violent ritual deep within the forest. The village experiences a brief respite as Bimo defeats the Kuyang, temporarily bestowing peace by tearing out its heart in a symbolic and physical struggle.
In the end, we see Sri recovering, returning to her job as a teacher, and getting ready for the birth of their child. The forest, however, is silently watchful, indicating that while the danger is gone for now, some of the ancient forces that reside in the forest may still be present.
Characters and Performances
Bimo (Dimas Aditya): Bimo is a devoted husband and reluctant hero. His character journey is the transformation from a skeptical outsider to a spiritual warrior. The emotional weight of the film is carried through his resolve and, to some extent, his emotional depth.
Sriatun/Sri (Alyssa Abidin): Sri is portrayed as the Kuyang haunted pregnant wife, and her performance combines fury and vulnerability balanced with the incapacity of a mother. Her possession and near death experience is a journey that is chillingly realistic.
Mina Uwe (Putri Ayudya): A Shaman who walks the line of healer and villain. Her actions and involvement become more and more sinister as the film goes on, symbolizing the harmful deception of tradition.
Tambi Nyai and Bue Alang: These ancient spirits, while not as important as the first three, personify the legacy of black magic and the still-prevalent magic historically influenced the spiritual life of the countryside of Indonesia.
Motifs and Themes
- Folklore as Fear
Kuyang is rooted in Indonesian folklore and embodies the region’s age-old dread of women’s power associated with childbirth and curses. The Kuyang is the embodiment of spiritual transgression and the price of darkness faintly tied to local ambitions and heritages.
- Isolation and The Other
Bimo and Sri are outlanders. The newcomers in the close-knit and preserve village have to contend with heightened vulnerability. Their isolation emphasizes the dread of the supernatural violence without anyone to defend or believe them.
- Maternity and The Female Body
The Kuyang’s fixation with the unborn babies represents a danger against the preservation of motherhood. Sri’s body is a site of contestation and a sacred object under siege, revealing the horrors of pregnancy in a hostile surrounding.
- Trust and Betrayal in Tradition
Mina, who provided care to the women at first, ends up leaving them without aid. That twist highlights the peril of faith without question, especially when the authority is spiritual or cultural cloaked.
- Man vs. Supernatural
Bimos attain victory against the Kuyang, not through new means or science but through old ways. This tells us that there is equilibrium that can be drawn between skepticism and timeless wisdom.
Visual Style and Atmosphere
The film’s setting makes great use of thick woods and fog-covered roads, along with the flickering candlelight rituals and the old, creaky wooden houses, which all evoke a thorough and disturbing ambiance. The Kuyang’s depiction through practical effects and CGI makes its form seem visceral. Often, its presence is felt long before it is seen.
Cinematography focuses on quiet and motionlessness, including the use of long takes. Attention is placed on the lonely, neglected spaces of the house and on Sri’s terrified face, slowly intensifying the tension. The sound design, featuring whispers, and howling winds, alongside warped chants, adds to the feeling of dread during possession scenes.
Reception and Cultural Impact
Kuyang is one of the films that are recognized for incorporating authentic Southeast Asian folklore into global horror narratives. Some viewers found the effects lacking and the pacing slow. However, the film’s atmosphere and performances, along with its cultural specificity set it apart from other contemporary supernatural horror films.
The use of authentic myth and focus on traditional beliefs was appreciated by Indonesian audiences and those overseas, especially when compared to Westernized horror. Sri, the character from the film, was admired for embodying maternal fortitude against the unpredictable forces of danger.
Final thoughts
Kuyang is an engaging horror movie and a cultural gem that pulls its strength from Indonesia’s spirituality and mythology. It takes a story of an ancient evil tormenting a couple to reflect on deep-seated fears of a woman concerning motherhood, loneliness, and the supernatural. It’s not just a ghost story. It’s a story of endurance, survival, and belief, and the cost of invoking incomprehensible powers.
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