Pengabdi Setan (Satan’s Slave), a horror film directed by Sisworo Gautama Putra and released in Indonesia in 1982, has attained cult status not just domestically but also globally. It is is often lauded as one of the scariest films to ever come out of Asia (it’s one of the few Indonesian films to have had home video releases in the US, Europe, and Japan).
Soon, we will be able to see a modern adaptation of the cult-classic with acclaimed Indonesian director Joko Anwar, known for critically acclaimed hits such as Janji Joni (Joni’s Promise), A Copy of My Mind, and the HBO original mini series Halfworlds, at the helm for a remake.
Judging by the trailer for the remake, which was released on August 20, it looks like Joko Anwar – a multi-talented filmmaker who has successfully taken on numerous film genres – has a flair for horror, too.
(We had to cover our eyes several times watching the trailer, not because of cheap jump scares, but because of genuinely vivid spooky imagery, like our nightmares about Indonesian ghosts are coming to life.)
The original film tells the story of a deceased mother whose spirit came back from the dead to haunt her children. The remake seems to play out along those lines, with possible slight variations.
The remake stars Tara Basro (A Copy of My Mind, Halfworlds) and Malaysian actor Bront Palarae (Nova, Halfworlds). It is being produced by Rapi Films, the studio behind the original, in collaboration with CJ Entertainment and video streaming app iFlix.
Pengabdi Setan is scheduled for cinematic release on September 28, 2017, in Indonesia.
Reader Interactions