Latest Indonesian Film Review "Maghrib Time (2023)"
Indonesian cinemas are back with a local horror film in early February 2023, namely Maghrib Time . This film is an adaptation of a short film with the same title and became the feature directorial debut of Sidharta Tata.
The synopsis for the film, Saat Maghrib, tells the story of Adi and Saman, who are often punished by Mrs. Woro (Aulia Sarah) because they are often late. So annoyed, they both swore at Bu Woro at the same time as the Maghrib call to prayer. After that, Adi and Saman often experience various supernatural events.
So, before you watch the Maghrib Time movie in theaters, first consider the following review!
Maghrib Time horror film review
Intense at the start, flustered at the end
This film raises a mythology that is very closely related to people's lives, especially those who grew up in the 2010s and below before the existence of many gadgets . This is because parents often warn their children to go home or not play again before the Maghrib call to prayer arrives because ghosts can kidnap them.
The attachment of this mythology to the audience makes this film feel very intense and relatable , especially from the beginning to the middle of the film. Unfortunately, towards the end of the film, Time of Maghrib seems confused in ending all the conflicts in the story. In fact, some conflicts actually don't have a resolution and eventually lead to plot holes .
Of course this is very dear to happen. You see, this film already has a pretty neat story development from the start and also has an unexpected plot twist towards the end of the film. However, as a whole, Maghrib Time is still considered successful as a horror show.
The construction of a gripping horror atmosphere
Sidhartha Tata was successful in building a gripping atmosphere in his directorial debut. The development of horror moments, such as jumpscares or gore , always feels gripping and manages to surprise you at the climax. Therefore, this film will be very suitable for those who are looking for horror shows.
This film succeeds in making the audience feel anxious every time the scene shows it is set in time for the Maghrib call to prayer. Even so, this film also emphasizes that the sound of the Maghrib call to prayer is not something that people should be afraid of.
The only drawback lies in the presence of several horror elements that are present repeatedly. This also makes the audience a little bored and not too surprised anymore by the horror elements that are repeatedly present.
Acting stole the attention of the child actors
Even though it is a horror film for audiences aged 17 and over, Time of Maghrib is actually dominated by a cast that is still children. Starting from Ali Fikry who plays Adi, Nafiza Fatia Rani as Rani, and Bima Sena as Saman. The performance of the three of them was far from disappointing and actually succeeded in stealing the audience's attention throughout the film.
This film also involves Aulia Sarah and Taskya Namya , who are fairly experienced in playing the horror genre. Hence, their appearance is also quite stunning in this film. Moreover, both of them managed to give a different color even though they played characters with the same profession, namely teachers.
Regardless of some of its shortcomings, Time of Maghrib is still a gripping horror film and has succeeded in making the audience hold their breath. If you are interested, you can watch this film in a number of Indonesian cinemas starting February 9, 2023.
