The 2018 Indonesian horror movie "May the Devil Take You" (aka "Sebelum Iblis Menjemput") turned out to be a rather enjoyable surprise of a movie. I must admit that as I sat down to watch it, I didn't really expect much from writer and director Timo Tjahjanto, as I hadn't even heard about the movie prior to sitting down to watch it in 2021. And also, the movie's cover wasn't just exactly particularly interesting to behold.
The storyline was nicely constructed, albeit at times fairly straight forward and almost generic for a horror movie. But there was just something about the storyline that worked well in favor of the overall enjoyment of the movie.
The acting performances in the movie were good. Now, I wasn't familiar with anyone on the cast list here, but then again, I am not overly familiar with the Indonesian cinema at large. But I will say that the performances in the movie were good, especial Chelsea Islan (playing Alfie) and Ruth Marini (playing the priestess).
Visually, then this is where "May the Devil Take You" really impressed me. The special effects and make-up in the movie were really good, and came off as being rather realistic-looking. And that was something that carried a lot of worth with it, because it added so much to the movie. I especially liked the make-up on the possessed mother.
"May the Devil Take You" feels like a good old classic foray into the horror genre. The movie offers enjoyment to seasoned horror veterans such as myself, but also serves as a good movie to introduce the horror genre to new audiences. So thumbs up to writer and director Timo Tjahjanto on that accomplishment.
This is a horror movie that I can and will warmly recommend you take the time to watch, especially if you enjoy the Asian horror cinema. My rating of the 2018 movie "May the Devil Take You" lands on a well-deserved six out of ten stars.
The storyline was nicely constructed, albeit at times fairly straight forward and almost generic for a horror movie. But there was just something about the storyline that worked well in favor of the overall enjoyment of the movie.
The acting performances in the movie were good. Now, I wasn't familiar with anyone on the cast list here, but then again, I am not overly familiar with the Indonesian cinema at large. But I will say that the performances in the movie were good, especial Chelsea Islan (playing Alfie) and Ruth Marini (playing the priestess).
Visually, then this is where "May the Devil Take You" really impressed me. The special effects and make-up in the movie were really good, and came off as being rather realistic-looking. And that was something that carried a lot of worth with it, because it added so much to the movie. I especially liked the make-up on the possessed mother.
"May the Devil Take You" feels like a good old classic foray into the horror genre. The movie offers enjoyment to seasoned horror veterans such as myself, but also serves as a good movie to introduce the horror genre to new audiences. So thumbs up to writer and director Timo Tjahjanto on that accomplishment.
This is a horror movie that I can and will warmly recommend you take the time to watch, especially if you enjoy the Asian horror cinema. My rating of the 2018 movie "May the Devil Take You" lands on a well-deserved six out of ten stars.