JANUR IRENG: SEWU DINO THE PREQUEL

For anyone wondering precisely how many goat sacrifices are too many for one movie, Kimo Stamboel’s latest slice of blood-drenched Southeast Asian gothic horror does its damnedest to find out. Serving as a prequel to the Indonesian box office smash SEWU DINO (aka A THOUSAND DAYS), JANUR IRENG turns back the clock to 1997 to explore the origins of a debilitating thousand-day curse.

Three months after the untimely death of their father, siblings Sabdo and Intan are left desperate and destitute when their family home mysteriously burns to the ground. Seemingly out of nowhere, Arjo, the wealthy uncle they never knew they had, appears and invites them to come and live at his palatial country estate. No sooner have they arrived, however, when Sabdo is forced to participate in bizarre late-night rituals, while his younger sister experiences all manner of supernatural disturbances as she is groomed for an even more nefarious fate.

Stamboel, a long-time Fantastic Fest favorite who has been terrifying and delighting Texas crowds ever since his early collaborations with fellow Mo Brother, Timo Tjahjanto, pulls out all the stops for this deliriously demonic delight. As with all the best Indonesian horror films, things start off innocuous enough, with malformed shadows and unexplained bumps in the night, but it doesn’t take long until events crescendo into a cacophonous carnivale of giant horned demons, disembodied spirits, and ancient rituals, climaxing in an eruption of decapitations and disembowelments, as ancient folklore and timeless savagery collide in spectacular blood-soaked revelry.

Adapted from much the same school of folklore-infused online creepypasta that nurtured successes like BACKROOMS and SLENDER MAN, JANUR IRENG weaves potent historical context into the origins of an already established mythology. Whether audiences are familiar with this blockbuster franchise already, or are being lashed to its subterranean altar for the first time, Stamboel ensures that all who witness its horrors will leave gleefully thrilled and fulfilled. (JAMES MARSH)

*Paired with the short SWITCH OFF dir. Sandeep Francis

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