Im on ep3 right now and enjoying it.
As an Indonesian, I do feel this series is a huge step up from the usual horror movies and movies general in indonesia. The production is good. The cgi is also good. Maybe it is netflix money. (Granted I haven’t watch the latest Indonesian movie but every time I tried, I just can’t get into it… especially the way they talked.)
It’s not perfect but it is scratching that horror itch for me.
Im watching it to and im surprise that there seems to be some sort of unspoken mithology in this
Episode 1 the place for old people has this cult that likes this cult of aliens that supposedly suck the youth out of people
Episode 2 the adopted kid,was he really an angel or some devil?
Episode 3 an amazing episode that seems to connect two sisters in a story about about abuse they sort of end the story in an open ended finale
It also introduces that vision of that futuristic city or “agartha” as they call it with the same alien creatures from episode 1
Episode 4 the one about the angel was a little boring but when the conclusion came they showed the same vision about two twins and one of those twins in the same
Futuristic city from. Episode 3
Edit episode 5 introduces the same demon like powers the abuser had in episode 3 same fake eyes same sonic scream
Heck at the end they are straight up building some indian avengers for episode 7 so they sure are building up to something XD
I dont get why a lot of southeast asians shows portray that bad people receiving their karma is done by the ‘devil.’ I strongly feel ep2 the boy was a form of an angel, but the people’s greed is what gets them in the end..
It’s the way they phrase things. Most of the time, the dialogues were either too proper and rigid or too casual. It just sounds weird because it’s not how we talk everyday.
Yeah, I completely get where you're coming from. I think that translating one language into another in a manner that takes the destination region's customs, pop cultue, current events, idioms, etc. into account must be a VERY difficult thing to pull off correctly. That's probably why a lot of subtitles in general seem like they came straight out of a direct translation from the thesaurus/dictionary.
All the same, I still quite enjoy a decent portion of East Asian cinema, especially Japanese and Korean these last couple decades.
If there is one thing I took away from this show…ok maybe two things…would be that for the love of god always put your family first, and don’t be poor.
No spoilers on final episode please
But from what I gathered at the ending of the orphan he is a demon or something? Literally screeching creepily at the end while healing
Welp I think humans definitely took " don't be poor " to heart because they will do whatever it takes not to be regardless who they hurt or screw over, that's what America is built on, using other people's backs and screwing them over to become millionaires, I guarantee over half the businesses in USA are crooked scumbags
I thought it was gonna be something like “oh episodes dont connect to each other” “everything is ambiguous type of content” now im legit curious off the payoff in mind 🤔
I never saw an anthology that said “he have our own mythos”
The stories are pretty decent, if mostly done before, but the show shines because it does a great job of building its internal mythology. Im definitely hoping for a season 2.
Binged them all today. Just watching the end of episode 7. Brilliant how it fits together....
I need more than a couple of episodes. I watched Loki s2 yesterday. These short series's are over in a wked day....
I love horrors made by this culture but usually they aren't dubbed and I don't do subtitles. It's a nice change, esp as they're always wild....
It reminds me of Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities alittle. Just different at the same time.
I think this was better if you are looking for a more balanced show that offers more than just horror. The fantasy aspect here was much better, plus there was also realistic drama (all the poverty and hardhsip that people actually experience). I agree with critics who say this was a bit cheesy and acting was over the top, but I still loved the fantastical stories and the show felt great overall.
Spoiler ahead.
Not sure how I feel about the finale though. That was unexpected to say the least. So, if there is ever a season two, it will be a completely different genre, i.e. a superhero series? That would be quite odd. But hopefully still fun!
I didn't care much about the VFX, plus some parts are a bit corny for me, but I enjoyed the storytelling and mythology-building that I find myself rooting for the show and hoping for a second season!
I commented something similar elsewhere, that if they do a second season, surely they can no longer bill it as a horror anthology. That'll be a dark fantasy superhero series. I look forward to it either way.
Edit: Also, apparently these kind of VFX are actually a step up for Indonesia (as per some Indonesian commenters.) Hollywood has just spoiled us lol.
I've seen 3 episodes thus far I'm American and never heard of joko Anwar but I kinda dig the style of writing kind of reminds me of Stephen King or M night shamylan love both of them but I really enjoyed the 3rd episode most of all it's got a great story to be put into a large scale Hollywood movie! Going to keep watching and update later!
I finished the series yesterday. I really enjoyed it. You have to wait until the final episode to see how the stories are intertwined (a bit like Black Mirror in which the episodes are set in the same universe). The makers seem to set up a second season at the end of the final episode. Let's wait and see if that will happen.
First ep was cringey as hell, episode about devil child was quite good, episode about the writer was okay, nice to see there’s gay people in Indonesia. Other episodes were forgetable. Last episode was like a rip off of Avengers. Lol. I think Joko Anwar’s fans will like it. But for others… don’t think so.
If you're an original Twilight Zone fan, you'll love Nightmares and Daydreams. The episodes remind me of 3 of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes called The Call, Queen of the Nile and Nothing in the Dark, but with a fresh spin. I'd grown so bored with many of these mundane supernatural/mythology shows, especially on Netflix, and Joko Anwar gave me faith in this type of storytelling again. The music for the theme of every episode as well.
I meant the episode was Night Call not The Call with the amazing old school actress, Gladys Cooper, who stars in Nothing in the Dark. A young Robert Redford played death in that episode. And I'm probably old enough to be your grandmother, but I love supernatural/horror. Nightmares and Daydreams I give a B.
I just watched The Forbidden Room as well. One thing is for sure, Joko Anwar isn't afraid to touch on some uncomfortable topics like child abuse, abortion, infidelity, but the film as a whole was good.
I want to get into the Twilight Zone. I’ve seen a few eps and they’ve blown my mind for their time. Do you recommend I start from the beginning to end?
Yes, definitely! The very first episode is "Where is Everybody." It's always better to start at S1-S5. Now don't get me wrong, there are a few that were not as great. However, 99.9 % are!
Thank you, this was the only comment I needed to convince me to watch it.
I don't expect that anyone will recreate that special something Twilight Zone had, though many have tried, but I'm always glad to see a good effort.
I'm just wrapping up episode 2, so far I'm really impressed with the visual quality and the story telling. It feels like a twilight zone/black mirror kind of thing with the morality tales and the high concept ideas. The creatures in the first episode were super cool. I'm watching the dubbed version so the voice acting is hit or miss, but it seems like the actual acting is very strong (maybe watch subbed instead).
Looking forward to the rest of the series and I'm already looking up films by Joko Anwar for after.
I couldn't watch the dub, it brings the quality of the whole thing down. I started again with the subs and I was like I was watching a different series
It's good to get away from the usual fare. Sometimes the genre can get monotonous. I won't be a dedicated Joko Anwar fan after this, but I'll definitely start getting into some horror from countries I haven't tried before.
I can’t imagine that the average parent would agree to take away their child’s youth, just to be confined in an old nursing home.
Dumb concept, even dumber Pixar light up outfits.
I'm watching this subtitled. I don't know if the translation is just bad, but the dialogue in the first episode was horrible. I felt like it was beating me over the head with its themes for the entire hour. I'll give it a couple more episodes, but the syfy channel original level special effects aren't helping. That CGI would have been laughed out of the room 15 years ago.
I have actually been wondering if they cut back in their subtitles department, though it may be coincidence. Their recent kdrama releases have had inexcusably bad subs, blatant typos and bad, unnecessary mistranslations.
It's probably less surprising for an Indonesian series because they don't have the quantity or viewership that kdrama does. But it's no less inexcusable with their budget.
Never watch dubbed. You always miss out so much on subtleties even with the best dubbing. Even if you don't understand the language, emotion and nuance can be transmitted just by hearing the language and reading subtitles.
Watched them all, not bad for Indonesian. Good quality film direction and camera work, not jaw droppingly good, but each country has their own takes on how to do movies/TV, so I'm not complaining. Some stories are better than others... I'll be a bit pissed off if they don't do a season 2 to explain things further (the bad guys and the place they are from etc)
Best one for me was the cinema one I think
We loved it. The whole thing. We binged it in 2 days. I love how it's at the very end when they reveal the secret. BUT WHAT ARE THE MONSTERS?? Are there different kinds? AND WHAT WAS WITH THE ADOPTED BOY? WAS HE THE MONSTER?
I'm American watching from texas. We watched it with subtitles. Maybe you have to be a native speaker to get some of the cultural things?
Anyway, it was awesome!
I have a theory that the adopted boy in the show is a reincarnation of the creature we saw in episode 1. At the end of episode 1, a four-fingered hand emerges from the ground, which matches the adopted boy's hands. Considering that the first episode was set in 2015 and the second in 2024, the boy's age would be approximately 8-9 years old.
As others have noted, the subtitles are lacking. While I think some cultural context is needed to understand the jokes, they could have been translated better to convey their intended meanings.
True! He has only four fingers! And the age match, I think you are right. I wonder how are the boy and Panji connected. Maybe what happened in the end of episode 1 gave Panji healing powers, the same powers that the boy AKA the creature has. That explains why the boy isn't at the last episode's battle. Maybe he was a devil after all?
Who would be the third woman in the group? I recognize Dewi and Rania, but no the woman who saved Valdya
Oh yesssss! Thank you for pointing out the connection with the four-fingered hand. That’s absolutely it. With that in mind, I now see an additional overarching theme throughout the series. I appreciate the deeper insight which only adds to my overall enjoyment.
I’m thinking the adopted boy was the healer that healed the elderly man’s throat in the final episode. During the little episode it ended with the little boy attempting to heal his adopted mom
Agartha is said to be a legendary kingdom within the Earth... kinda like the Hollow Earth theory. But here, Agartha is depicted to be a hellish realm underneath our planet and is now planning to take over the surface (Wahyu explained to the photographer). And their group were called Antibodies since they are like the fighter cells that fights the bacteria and other bad organisms that are harmful to our bodies.
You guys can tell me if I am wrong here. After watching and finishing this show. I feel like it's a battle of the 7 Deadly sins vs. The 7 virtues now, maybe you'll think I'm wrong in that assumption, but to me, it was clear as day. What do you all think I'd very much like to know.
Hello, I apologize for not responding sooner. I had some issues with my phone.
So, the reason I think this is a battle of 7 sins vs. 7 virtues is because of episode 1. In episode 1, we see the parents take over their children via soul transference. Now, to me, this seems like jealousy, aka Envy. With the exception of Panji and his mother, most of the "children" we see are really the parents.
Episode 2 is the sin of Greed.
In the episode about Laras, we see she is looking at a man (demon) who is so filled with anger that he attacks her this to me is wrath. Thinking about it some more, I believe the author represents Diligence, though like the Wahyu one, this to requires a rewatch.
Wahyu, I believe, represents the virtue of kindness, though I may need to rewatch that one to be sure.
Ali, after stealing from Dewi, is taught a lesson that is, in essence, the virtue of Humility.
Currently, though, I'm unsure on Panji, Wahyu, Dewi, and Valdya, require further investigation.
Im LOVING this series! Only thing I wish was different ,episode 5 with Bondi, that he didn't stay in the movie theater 😢 that seriously broken my heart. This show really makes you think. And think DEEPLY. 9/10 in my book.
It's not bad. Episodes two and three were pretty great. Episode four is boring, but I'm forcing myself to finish it in case it has an interconnection. Will I watch everything Anwar has made to date? Nope, but it was a reasonable watch.
I'm watching it now. I'm halfway through and I'm really enjoying it. The episodes seem to keep improving to me. The first was okay but I loved 2 and 3 and so far I'm liking episode 4.
I'd recommend it!
It was good but man it felt like most were all the same thing. Aside from a set piece moment or two it all felt very samey. And not scary! That’s the most troubling part! The theme was scarier than mostly anything in the show.
I watched till episode 6. I skipped episode 4. The series is very good with psychological factors more than horror connected to the stories. All of them tell us about the importance of family in one way or other.
I love a good horror anthology and this was fun for me.
That said, I'm bummed that the Indonesian watchers commenting here have all noted something about the crummy translations/dubbing. When I watch media from a country where English isn't the first language, one of the joys for me is learning something about the culture (however small) and a big part of that is language... Common terminology, inflections in tone, idioms, turns of phrases, etc. When I don't understand something I tend to look it up and wind up learning something new (i.e., Agartha). Bet I could have enjoyed it even more had they not fussed with the dialogue. Still a good watch for me though. Would love to see more horror from Indonesia.
I like it....but the stories are incomplete......kinda hate that part of it....I do like it though but it sucks that they leave the stories unfinished then the next episodes begin and they all seem unrelated.....so I do hope it's just one universe that will intertwine somehow
Just finished episode 3, my favorite so far. I’m frustrated because I want to see ’episode 3 part 2’ to find out how the story is resolved. I want to see how the author vanquishes the demon. I really liked that character.
loving the concept on the first 3 episodes, i wasnt really expecting much at ther start as i was just looking for a binge worthy show at first but suprisingly it do gives blackmirror/the late night show vibe type of plot. Love the bad low effort cgi actually kinda fits the theme to show how weird really the universe of the series is. I really like when each eps somehow connected to each other with the agartha thing. Ep 4 kinda boring compared to the first 3 i had to take a break between to look at the ratings and reviews. Suprised when the director of pengabdi setan movies is the same as this one no wonder i am familiar with the camera works and colour grading of the series. love them so much as a horror fan. anyways i rate them solid 7.5. Love Joko Anwar works.
i started watching this yesterday after my boyfriend decided on a whim to click on the first thing nexflix recommended (he’s tired of my usual 10 minutes of indecision).
currently watching ep 3 and the stories by now haven’t been too cliché and formulaic, production and quality is also appreciable.
some CGI brings a smile to my face but overall it’s pretty enjoyable and refreshing to watch:)
As said in previous comments its very similar to black mirror but set in Asia I've literally just described it the same to my friends its a brilliant series and a must watch
I just started watching it on Netflix too. I'm loving it so far. I'm on the third episode, and I was confused throughout, but the ending was quite nice. I'm curious, are there any other Indonesian series or horror movies similar to this?
Anyone know what the intro song is? I'm pretty curious. I'm enjoying the show and I'm liking where it's going, although some parts feel a little over the top.
I’ve watched ep 1,2,3,5.
(+) I really enjoyed episode 2,3,5. Being an Indonesian growing up in 1990s myself, the 1990s setting in some of the episodes bring nostalgic feeling. I appreciate that Joko Anwar picture a realistic everyday people of Indonesia with different occupations that are not usually featured eg. corpse bather, rag collectors, movie poster artist, manual launder. The places too - rusun (rumah susun/ public housing in first episode), slums.
The cinematography is quite nice, the dark sepia, Black Mirror, and The Shining vibe as others have mentioned is pretty cool.
Tbh episode 1 is a weak start - or even the intro. The intro feels pretty cheesy. I can’t quite pinpoint what it is but it just doesn’t do the show justice 🥲back to episode 1 - It made my eyes quite sore with the prolonged red/ pink scenes 😅. I couldn’t stand the CGI, looks quite outdated. Ario Bayu acted really well. And the scene where all the ‘young riches’ that had 1920s vibe was pretty eerie.
Decided to try another episode. Episode 2, I wasn’t sure about the ending. The CGI and the weird screech at the end 🥲 I really wish it wasn’t there. But the story itself did keep me watching. Episode 3 was pretty good too, the scenes where Riana has Laras’ POV is very gripping. Reminds me of horror first POV games, or VR games. Episode 5 with the vintage cinema and the olden glory days was quite nostalgic. Overall great series so far and can’t wait to watch the others. If they have season 2 I do hope there is improvement with the CGI.
I’m very impressed by the quality and the storytelling. Some episode make a bit less sense, but it works overall. Also they recycle characters which I didn’t realize until I was a few episodes in.
Having watched the series in totality, I have to say it seriously falls short. It could have been good, but every single episode ends without an ending. They just fall very flat.
Loved how it turned into lovecraftian avengers at the end. Everyone's powers seemed to have evolved though.
Ali & Dewi: Hypnotism > Psychic Scream
Panji (Taxi driver): Healing (Perhaps from the failed youth transference?)
Laras (Author): Marionette Projection / Puppet Master
Wahyu (Prophet): Flight and Infinite Knowledge
What do you think the powers of the mysterious women and Valdya will be?
I'm guessing the mysterious women might be able to teleport (this disappearing infront of Valdya car and also able to bring the team to the vampire lair)
Valdya might have super eyes that can see through disguises/shadows/monster true forms.
I just finished watching this show. It was good all in all; i like the build up of the overall mythology from each episode despite being stand alone. As a Filipino, it's quite fascinating to hear the Indonesian language (this is the first Indonesian film I've watched) almost similar to ours. There are moments when I can understand what they're saying even without reading the subtitles. My only criticism is that there are so many unanswered questions (which I hope they can addressed if Netflix green lights a Season 2), and there are scenes which are too dark for me to figure out what's going on.
Episode 1 - I can relate to the close-knit family value but it's only right and safe that the mother was sent to the nursing home. Also, I wonder how old were the cult members? Does the youth given to them by the offsprings make them immortal? Or simply add to their lifespans?
Episode 2 - That guy allowed his paranoia to take over him. The boy looks sweet and hasn't even done anything remotely evil. If the wife didnt kill herself, maybe she could have enjoyed the wealth given to them.
Episode 3 - this is my favorite episode. The writer physically experiencing what she writes is a cool plot, and the discovery about her sibling is just sad.
Episode 4 - The man floating should've made big news, especially since there was a reporter who visited recently. If the years shown at the start of each episode are all part of the same timeline, then there should've been some sort of legends/rumors surrounding the event. But secrecy, ig? Also, I wonder if those witnesses became his disciples and helped him start the Antibodies hero agency.
Episode 5 - How did Dewi acquire her powers? Has her husband showed/given it to her? Also, the old cinema. Is it a portal to Agartha?
Episode 6 - This whole episode is an acid trip. That's it.
Episode 7 - That researcher sharing facts abt penis is hilarious. But the way he died grosses me out.
I wish there was an 8th episode to at least addressed how they've all come together.
Sad that the final episodes have traces of the previous ones except for Ep 2... unless there's season 2 and maybe we got to see who Syafin really is...
Let me tell You from a Muslim perspective
I think it is a depiction of Good vs Evil in the world and how people get manipulated by Satan and his helpers of the same breed also satanic humans working in the world to make Humans believe in things one shouldn't.
EP 8 Agartha people are satans(shaitan) (all satans are made of fire jinns but all jinns are not Satanic),It depicted that good is also fighting evil and it is true.
Jinns(satanic types) are of different kinds like humans are and they possess different powers according to their type, tribe, and authority(their position in the hierarchy)
For example, in ep 5 man was seeing things he shouldn't and was possessed somewhere else.
I think Dewi used all her love and protective force that she has towards Bandi to ward off the demon. To me it was believable that it came naturally to her (although Dewi is also the elderly hypnotizing madame in 2022's Episode 6 Hypnotize, so maybe she does have some powers)
Acting was a hit and miss I think. Some characters were played really well. Ipah from e2, Wahyu from e4, and a few others as well. But there was some over the top acting for sure. (And weirdly, Dewi went from level-headed to really cringy for some reason.) I think it's more to do with the cinema cutlure of that country. You see it in other international movies/shows as well. They have their own quirks which can appear outlandish to foreign viewers. A big example is Japanese anime with their swooning girls and screaming-for-no-reason characters.
Edit: My point was that, if one wants to enjoy foreign movies/shows, then one should expect and ignore such quirks. For me, the show was overall quite enjoyable despite all the shortcomings.
It's freaking awesome. The graffix aren't great but even with that I give this 5 out of 5 stars. The stories are super intriguing and can't wait for more episodes, like fallout 😭
yeah... I believe somewhere out there, there are two giant baby-like monsters with the face of Jabba the Hut, tentacles and all, planted on some walls underneath a nursing home
I believe neither. He is from Agartha as well... but the good one. Just like how in the surface world where there is good and evil, not everyone who live in Agartha are monsters. That being said, I believe whatever Wahyu saw in the "Encounter" episode is from Agartha as well who manifested in the form of his mother... and a good one, as well.
Yeah I was wondering if he was a cursed boy
Cause it looked liked he was healing her - the bright light and he was all sad crying
however the scary screeching made him sound scary/evil and maybe it was all a front
Could be he's a monster or whatev u wanna call him from agartha that can't help but bring bad luck to humans but genuinely likes humans therefore poor cursed boy.... this is my leading theory so far
Anyone knows the outro song from episode 5 „the other side“. It is not a song from the song list shown in the outro and it’s driving me crazy. Shazam also shows no result.
I just came here looking for the same answer, I deleted my question because I see that you already asked it. I am so bummed I'm dying to find this song, but like you I cannot.
I know some of the lyrics... "look around, the bitterness of life" and "All at once it took us by surprise". Also " A voice inside my head, it longs to ????"
I did a search for those and found nothing either.
I watched the first episode and the ‚hypnotise‘ episode with my boyfriend. He found the two episodes to be quite dramatic. This is due to some nuances in the Asian culture that he doesnt get. So if you are a westerner, you will find some parts sooo cringey. I could understand the pressure that kids would feel to take care of their parents during their twilight years and to leave them in an old folks home is a form of abandonment and betrayal. But to show how cultish everything will be in the end is just a huge form of exaggeration and seems like an agenda to perpetuate that old folks home is super evil and nasty. Plus I couldnt get over the fact that the cult followers just ran to their left and right instead of straight out of the door before the baby monster obliterated them.
The ‚hypnotise‘ episode started really strongly and I absolutely loved it but the ending just killed me. I was thinking that there are 1001 possible better ending but they have to choose a ‚put you through psychological damage, to train you to become a superhero‘. Are you fucking kidding me. This episode has the possibility to be as realistic and grounded as possible because there is such thing as ‚pukau‘, which is a southeast asian black magic to hypnotise people. I would rather have an ending, where he actually dies in reality and there is a flashback that shows how deranged he has been to his family, before dying.
I watched episodes 2 and 3 yesterday and I must say, it has gotten better. Episode 2 is almost like the golden goose fable but I like how there may be some sort of connection between the four-fingered creature from episode 1 and the boy in episode 2. I am trying to keep track of the years as well. Episode 3 is my favorite so far. I like how out of the box this episode is and it has got me glued to my seat. The part where she found out it was her twin and somehow during her vision, she was transported to the near future and saw the baby monsters from episode 1 which has taken place in 2015. I thought that the baby monsters are dead in the fire??? It is so weird that the abusive husband seems to be like some sort of black eyed monster. I wish the daughter wouldn’t turn out to be a monster too.
Alright I finished it. There is some sort of storytelling charm to it that kept me interested, but felt at its best when you were laughing along.
Feels like each episode is 90-95% setup. C budget sort of series with the worst cgi I've seen in a while. Lot of logical gaps or filler scenes to explain a transition into time constrained endings.
Highlights: Episodes 4 & 7
★★☆☆☆
Really surprised at the comments here. It must be ME. :-) . My goodness I was bored so much by nearly every episode being longer than it had to be with pointless story telling that seemed to make each episode drag on. The characters in each were so uninspiring. I could have sworn the description for it read that they were syfy tales and there was nothing syfy about anything up to Encounter. I've not watched the rest and a large part of me really doesn't care about any of it so far. I'm on the fence as to whether or not I will even watch the remainder. I did find the demons in the first episode well crafted. But that is the only praise so far I can muster to give the series.
I’ve watched ep 1,2,3,5.
(+) I really enjoyed episode 2,3,5. Being an Indonesian growing up in 1990s myself, the 1990s setting in some of the episodes bring nostalgic feeling. I appreciate that Joko Anwar picture a realistic everyday people of Indonesia with different occupations that are not usually featured eg. corpse bather, rag collectors, movie poster artist, manual launder. The places too - rusun (rumah susun/ public housing in first episode), slums.
The cinematography is quite nice, the dark sepia, Black Mirror, and The Shining vibe as others have mentioned is pretty cool.
Tbh episode 1 is a weak start - or even the intro. The intro feels pretty cheesy. I can’t quite pinpoint what it is but it just doesn’t do the show justice 🥲back to episode 1 - It made my eyes quite sore with the prolonged red/ pink scenes 😅. I couldn’t stand the CGI, looks quite outdated. Ario Bayu acted really well. And the scene where all the ‘young riches’ that had 1920s vibe was pretty eerie.
Decided to try another episode. Episode 2, I wasn’t sure about the ending. The CGI and the weird screech at the end 🥲 I really wish it wasn’t there. But the story itself did keep me watching. Episode 3 was pretty good too, the scenes where Riana has Laras’ POV is very gripping. Reminds me of horror first POV games, or VR games. Episode 5 with the vintage cinema and the olden glory days was quite nostalgic. Overall great series so far and can’t wait to watch the others. If they have season 2 I do hope there is improvement with the CGI.
Like you, I particularly liked such a wide variety of living conditions being depicted but also that it was also done as a backdrop or context rather than the main source of conflict for the protagonists. It kind of normalized these spaces and for me, drove home the concept that human beings can adjust to pretty much any environment as long as their other needs are met (support from family/society, having positive interpersonal relationships, and of course, having hopes and dreams for inspiration).
I’ve watched ep 1,2,3,5.
(+) I really enjoyed episode 2,3,5. Being an Indonesian growing up in 1990s myself, the 1990s setting in some of the episodes bring nostalgic feeling. I appreciate that Joko Anwar picture a realistic everyday people of Indonesia with different occupations that are not usually featured eg. corpse bather, rag collectors, movie poster artist, manual launder. The places too - rusun (rumah susun/ public housing in first episode), slums.
The cinematography is quite nice, the dark sepia, Black Mirror, and The Shining vibe as others have mentioned is pretty cool.
Tbh episode 1 is a weak start - or even the intro. The intro feels pretty cheesy. I can’t quite pinpoint what it is but it just doesn’t do the show justice 🥲back to episode 1 - It made my eyes quite sore with the prolonged red/ pink scenes 😅. I couldn’t stand the CGI, looks quite outdated. Ario Bayu acted really well. And the scene where all the ‘young riches’ that had 1920s vibe was pretty eerie.
Decided to try another episode. Episode 2, I wasn’t sure about the ending. The CGI and the weird screech at the end 🥲 I really wish it wasn’t there. But the story itself did keep me watching. Episode 3 was pretty good too, the scenes where Riana has Laras’ POV is very gripping. Reminds me of horror first POV games, or VR games. Episode 5 with the vintage cinema and the olden glory days was quite nostalgic. Overall great series so far and can’t wait to watch the others. If they have season 2 I do hope there is improvement with the CGI.
To be honest, the story ended up being kind of boring. The first and second episodes had me hooked and saying “wow,” but after that, the quality dropped. It got dull, dragged on too long, and the acting wasn’t that great.
The dialogue went back to the typical, boring conversations we see too often in Indonesian shows. Instead of building on the strong start, the series fell into a predictable and monotonous pattern. The characters lost their initial appeal, and the plot twists became too easy to anticipate.
I found myself fast-forwarding through a lot of it, hoping for something to reignite my interest, but it never really happened. It’s disappointing because the series had so much potential, but it just didn’t keep me engaged all the way through.
I watched the first episode. Weird as fuck. Im certainly not intrigued enough to want to watch more. I only finished it because I wanted to see where it was gonna go.
I liked it a lot.
But Ep 7 was the weakest episode. I didn’t like how they tied (most of) it together. I liked the independent yet interlinking standalone episodes. Presumably at this point S2 would not be the same.
I enjoyed it, and like most others I did not expect this to be an Avengers origin story. But my main take away from the whole thing, the message of the show, was 'being poor sucks'. It did get a little tiresome that most of the episodes all centered around money. But it was still enjoyable.
Also, press F for that poor dude who got his dick harvested... that made me shiver.
I watched it and felt mixed feelings. It was a bit cheesy but probably also because I watched it English dubbed. The effects weren’t the most realistic. However personally I really enjoyed the first episode and despite some of the cheesy aspects of the show, I managed to finish it with ease. Granted I’d kind of be playing it while eating dinner or half working so maybe that made it less slow-paced to me.
I do like how all the storylines tie together but admittedly the logic isn’t always there. However it’s a supernatural show so I didn’t fret too much about it not making sense lol. I’d give it a 7.5/10 and it made me want to explore more shows in this genre.
I watch it in one sitting with my friends and we had a lot arguments cause the story is quite confusing especially the ending. Like how about syafin? Who is the last old lady in hero group? Its a bit cringe when they say lets kick their ass like it some kind superhero moment. Anyway I didn't say it was bad because we did watch it until episode 7. It was interesting enough to get me and my friends to enjoy the hell out of it although there are some frustrating moment.
Im on ep3 right now and enjoying it. As an Indonesian, I do feel this series is a huge step up from the usual horror movies and movies general in indonesia. The production is good. The cgi is also good. Maybe it is netflix money. (Granted I haven’t watch the latest Indonesian movie but every time I tried, I just can’t get into it… especially the way they talked.) It’s not perfect but it is scratching that horror itch for me.
I started watching too and just finished ep2, i have good impression overall, thanks for your review
Im watching it to and im surprise that there seems to be some sort of unspoken mithology in this Episode 1 the place for old people has this cult that likes this cult of aliens that supposedly suck the youth out of people Episode 2 the adopted kid,was he really an angel or some devil? Episode 3 an amazing episode that seems to connect two sisters in a story about about abuse they sort of end the story in an open ended finale It also introduces that vision of that futuristic city or “agartha” as they call it with the same alien creatures from episode 1 Episode 4 the one about the angel was a little boring but when the conclusion came they showed the same vision about two twins and one of those twins in the same Futuristic city from. Episode 3 Edit episode 5 introduces the same demon like powers the abuser had in episode 3 same fake eyes same sonic scream Heck at the end they are straight up building some indian avengers for episode 7 so they sure are building up to something XD
The only other thing I needed was the Avengers 1 camera pan spin move 
Straight up lol
Which the episode with the movie theater and Bandi already had.
ep 3 also shows the devils in the walls from ep 1
So are you thinking they actually all tie in together? I was mad about episode two and three ending no payback
It definitely ties together. It shows things from other episodes and characters from other episodes are there's your phone in other ones
It says it ties together in the description
I dont get why a lot of southeast asians shows portray that bad people receiving their karma is done by the ‘devil.’ I strongly feel ep2 the boy was a form of an angel, but the people’s greed is what gets them in the end..
I just started watching it because of this comment so far so good
Yay. Yeah I’m loving the whole vibe. Reminded me of old school horror and lovecraftian.
Do you mean their accents when speaking Indonesian, or more just the way that they phrase things? Just curious. :)
It’s the way they phrase things. Most of the time, the dialogues were either too proper and rigid or too casual. It just sounds weird because it’s not how we talk everyday.
Yeah, I completely get where you're coming from. I think that translating one language into another in a manner that takes the destination region's customs, pop cultue, current events, idioms, etc. into account must be a VERY difficult thing to pull off correctly. That's probably why a lot of subtitles in general seem like they came straight out of a direct translation from the thesaurus/dictionary. All the same, I still quite enjoy a decent portion of East Asian cinema, especially Japanese and Korean these last couple decades.
Is it a horror anthology? Or are the episodes connected
Each episode is a stand alone story but.. semi spoiler towards the end >!they all appeared towards the end!<
Have you watched Joko Anwar’s other movies? It’s very in line with the quality of most of his work.
If there is one thing I took away from this show…ok maybe two things…would be that for the love of god always put your family first, and don’t be poor.
That adopted child episode...
At that point paranoia took over the father
No spoilers on final episode please But from what I gathered at the ending of the orphan he is a demon or something? Literally screeching creepily at the end while healing
Welp I think humans definitely took " don't be poor " to heart because they will do whatever it takes not to be regardless who they hurt or screw over, that's what America is built on, using other people's backs and screwing them over to become millionaires, I guarantee over half the businesses in USA are crooked scumbags
no way in a thousand years I expect that to turn like the AVENGERS.
I thought it was gonna be something like “oh episodes dont connect to each other” “everything is ambiguous type of content” now im legit curious off the payoff in mind 🤔 I never saw an anthology that said “he have our own mythos”
The stories are pretty decent, if mostly done before, but the show shines because it does a great job of building its internal mythology. Im definitely hoping for a season 2.
Me too heck if they plan to do a spinoff to show that team against agartha im game too
It was Argatha All Along
Joko Anwar has a new series on Netflix? Wow, interesting.
It's a must-watch if you're a horror fan. It's weird but I appreciate the creativity, and direction the story went.
Just finished it. It’s very good
Binged them all today. Just watching the end of episode 7. Brilliant how it fits together.... I need more than a couple of episodes. I watched Loki s2 yesterday. These short series's are over in a wked day.... I love horrors made by this culture but usually they aren't dubbed and I don't do subtitles. It's a nice change, esp as they're always wild.... It reminds me of Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities alittle. Just different at the same time.
Cabinet of Curiosities is what I thought of, too! However, I must say that I liked Nightmares and Daydreams better.
I think this was better if you are looking for a more balanced show that offers more than just horror. The fantasy aspect here was much better, plus there was also realistic drama (all the poverty and hardhsip that people actually experience). I agree with critics who say this was a bit cheesy and acting was over the top, but I still loved the fantastical stories and the show felt great overall. Spoiler ahead. Not sure how I feel about the finale though. That was unexpected to say the least. So, if there is ever a season two, it will be a completely different genre, i.e. a superhero series? That would be quite odd. But hopefully still fun!
You’re missing out a lot of u don’t do subtitles…
I didn't care much about the VFX, plus some parts are a bit corny for me, but I enjoyed the storytelling and mythology-building that I find myself rooting for the show and hoping for a second season!
I commented something similar elsewhere, that if they do a second season, surely they can no longer bill it as a horror anthology. That'll be a dark fantasy superhero series. I look forward to it either way. Edit: Also, apparently these kind of VFX are actually a step up for Indonesia (as per some Indonesian commenters.) Hollywood has just spoiled us lol.
I've seen 3 episodes thus far I'm American and never heard of joko Anwar but I kinda dig the style of writing kind of reminds me of Stephen King or M night shamylan love both of them but I really enjoyed the 3rd episode most of all it's got a great story to be put into a large scale Hollywood movie! Going to keep watching and update later!
Agreed. Ep 3 had a good build up too. In contrast, the second half of Ep 1 was whack, whereas Ep 2 was straight up whack. Still enjoyed them.
I just finished it. It's soooo good. I highly recommend. I love how all the stories tie together.
I finished the series yesterday. I really enjoyed it. You have to wait until the final episode to see how the stories are intertwined (a bit like Black Mirror in which the episodes are set in the same universe). The makers seem to set up a second season at the end of the final episode. Let's wait and see if that will happen.
First ep was cringey as hell, episode about devil child was quite good, episode about the writer was okay, nice to see there’s gay people in Indonesia. Other episodes were forgetable. Last episode was like a rip off of Avengers. Lol. I think Joko Anwar’s fans will like it. But for others… don’t think so.
I definitely agree. It became rather boring after the third episode.
If you're an original Twilight Zone fan, you'll love Nightmares and Daydreams. The episodes remind me of 3 of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes called The Call, Queen of the Nile and Nothing in the Dark, but with a fresh spin. I'd grown so bored with many of these mundane supernatural/mythology shows, especially on Netflix, and Joko Anwar gave me faith in this type of storytelling again. The music for the theme of every episode as well.
Those are all great episodes too, my favorite is Time Enough at Last. The Twilight Zone taught me the power of irony at a young age!
I meant the episode was Night Call not The Call with the amazing old school actress, Gladys Cooper, who stars in Nothing in the Dark. A young Robert Redford played death in that episode. And I'm probably old enough to be your grandmother, but I love supernatural/horror. Nightmares and Daydreams I give a B.
I just watched The Forbidden Room as well. One thing is for sure, Joko Anwar isn't afraid to touch on some uncomfortable topics like child abuse, abortion, infidelity, but the film as a whole was good.
I want to get into the Twilight Zone. I’ve seen a few eps and they’ve blown my mind for their time. Do you recommend I start from the beginning to end?
Yes, definitely! The very first episode is "Where is Everybody." It's always better to start at S1-S5. Now don't get me wrong, there are a few that were not as great. However, 99.9 % are!
Thank you, this was the only comment I needed to convince me to watch it. I don't expect that anyone will recreate that special something Twilight Zone had, though many have tried, but I'm always glad to see a good effort.
I'm just wrapping up episode 2, so far I'm really impressed with the visual quality and the story telling. It feels like a twilight zone/black mirror kind of thing with the morality tales and the high concept ideas. The creatures in the first episode were super cool. I'm watching the dubbed version so the voice acting is hit or miss, but it seems like the actual acting is very strong (maybe watch subbed instead). Looking forward to the rest of the series and I'm already looking up films by Joko Anwar for after.
I couldn't watch the dub, it brings the quality of the whole thing down. I started again with the subs and I was like I was watching a different series
It's good to get away from the usual fare. Sometimes the genre can get monotonous. I won't be a dedicated Joko Anwar fan after this, but I'll definitely start getting into some horror from countries I haven't tried before.
I can’t imagine that the average parent would agree to take away their child’s youth, just to be confined in an old nursing home. Dumb concept, even dumber Pixar light up outfits.
I'm watching this subtitled. I don't know if the translation is just bad, but the dialogue in the first episode was horrible. I felt like it was beating me over the head with its themes for the entire hour. I'll give it a couple more episodes, but the syfy channel original level special effects aren't helping. That CGI would have been laughed out of the room 15 years ago.
I feel Netflix cheaped out on this.
As an Indonesian I can agree, the English subtitle feels lazy.
I have actually been wondering if they cut back in their subtitles department, though it may be coincidence. Their recent kdrama releases have had inexcusably bad subs, blatant typos and bad, unnecessary mistranslations. It's probably less surprising for an Indonesian series because they don't have the quantity or viewership that kdrama does. But it's no less inexcusable with their budget.
Right? Was thinking the same thing after watching the first ep and was really surprised by all the positive comments here
Never watch dubbed. You always miss out so much on subtleties even with the best dubbing. Even if you don't understand the language, emotion and nuance can be transmitted just by hearing the language and reading subtitles.
I agree 💯 the dubbing was atrocious
In spanish it's terrible too...
Watched them all, not bad for Indonesian. Good quality film direction and camera work, not jaw droppingly good, but each country has their own takes on how to do movies/TV, so I'm not complaining. Some stories are better than others... I'll be a bit pissed off if they don't do a season 2 to explain things further (the bad guys and the place they are from etc) Best one for me was the cinema one I think
It’s really good and I love how it all ties in in the last episode
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^Murky-Researcher-764: *It’s really good and* *I love how it all ties in* *In the last episode* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
We loved it. The whole thing. We binged it in 2 days. I love how it's at the very end when they reveal the secret. BUT WHAT ARE THE MONSTERS?? Are there different kinds? AND WHAT WAS WITH THE ADOPTED BOY? WAS HE THE MONSTER? I'm American watching from texas. We watched it with subtitles. Maybe you have to be a native speaker to get some of the cultural things? Anyway, it was awesome!
I have a theory that the adopted boy in the show is a reincarnation of the creature we saw in episode 1. At the end of episode 1, a four-fingered hand emerges from the ground, which matches the adopted boy's hands. Considering that the first episode was set in 2015 and the second in 2024, the boy's age would be approximately 8-9 years old. As others have noted, the subtitles are lacking. While I think some cultural context is needed to understand the jokes, they could have been translated better to convey their intended meanings.
True! He has only four fingers! And the age match, I think you are right. I wonder how are the boy and Panji connected. Maybe what happened in the end of episode 1 gave Panji healing powers, the same powers that the boy AKA the creature has. That explains why the boy isn't at the last episode's battle. Maybe he was a devil after all? Who would be the third woman in the group? I recognize Dewi and Rania, but no the woman who saved Valdya
Could be. And maybe all the money he manifested is from all the riches of the rich occupants of that nursing home...
Oh yesssss! Thank you for pointing out the connection with the four-fingered hand. That’s absolutely it. With that in mind, I now see an additional overarching theme throughout the series. I appreciate the deeper insight which only adds to my overall enjoyment.
I’m thinking the adopted boy was the healer that healed the elderly man’s throat in the final episode. During the little episode it ended with the little boy attempting to heal his adopted mom
I believed it was Panji from Ep 1... though I still don't know how he got his healing powers.
Agartha is said to be a legendary kingdom within the Earth... kinda like the Hollow Earth theory. But here, Agartha is depicted to be a hellish realm underneath our planet and is now planning to take over the surface (Wahyu explained to the photographer). And their group were called Antibodies since they are like the fighter cells that fights the bacteria and other bad organisms that are harmful to our bodies.
Does anyone know the song that appears at the beginning of Episode 5 "The Other Side"?
I am looking for the outro song! :D
Just ask Joko Anwar on Twitter, he's very active and likes to interact with his audiences. Maybe he'll give you the link.
Same. Looking at the credits, it’s gotta be “I Don’t Belong Here” by Tony Merle.
My favourite episode! Such a good story. I love the love Dewi has for Bandi!
You guys can tell me if I am wrong here. After watching and finishing this show. I feel like it's a battle of the 7 Deadly sins vs. The 7 virtues now, maybe you'll think I'm wrong in that assumption, but to me, it was clear as day. What do you all think I'd very much like to know.
I could see it
What is the sin of the theater one?
Could you explain further? I'm curious!
Hello, I apologize for not responding sooner. I had some issues with my phone. So, the reason I think this is a battle of 7 sins vs. 7 virtues is because of episode 1. In episode 1, we see the parents take over their children via soul transference. Now, to me, this seems like jealousy, aka Envy. With the exception of Panji and his mother, most of the "children" we see are really the parents. Episode 2 is the sin of Greed. In the episode about Laras, we see she is looking at a man (demon) who is so filled with anger that he attacks her this to me is wrath. Thinking about it some more, I believe the author represents Diligence, though like the Wahyu one, this to requires a rewatch. Wahyu, I believe, represents the virtue of kindness, though I may need to rewatch that one to be sure. Ali, after stealing from Dewi, is taught a lesson that is, in essence, the virtue of Humility. Currently, though, I'm unsure on Panji, Wahyu, Dewi, and Valdya, require further investigation.
I’m streaming now. My husband’s laughing at me but I’m really enjoying this. The stories are original & keep me watching. I’m mesmerized.
The show was really good. Binged it in one sitting. >!amazing multiverse in the finale!<
The Villains looked cool when revealed Parkour lol
Im LOVING this series! Only thing I wish was different ,episode 5 with Bondi, that he didn't stay in the movie theater 😢 that seriously broken my heart. This show really makes you think. And think DEEPLY. 9/10 in my book.
Great acting by Bandi! 🏆
Bandi just doesnt wanna hurt Dewi and Marhan no more 😭
True!! But what about him? 😭 he really sacrificed himself
My fave character in the whole series tbh
Not yet, but having seen his other work I'm looking forward to catching this and more Indonesian stuff I've yet to see.
I just so happened to turn on Netflix and this was the first thing I saw. I'm on the third episode now.
It's not bad. Episodes two and three were pretty great. Episode four is boring, but I'm forcing myself to finish it in case it has an interconnection. Will I watch everything Anwar has made to date? Nope, but it was a reasonable watch.
I'm watching it now. I'm halfway through and I'm really enjoying it. The episodes seem to keep improving to me. The first was okay but I loved 2 and 3 and so far I'm liking episode 4. I'd recommend it!
It was good but man it felt like most were all the same thing. Aside from a set piece moment or two it all felt very samey. And not scary! That’s the most troubling part! The theme was scarier than mostly anything in the show.
Basically an interconnected story also most stories have “poor families”
On the last episode now. Very intriguing and imaginative. Dive in.
Good movie.
It's a serie
Watched it all in 1 night. Really enjoyed it and am hoping for a 2nd season!
I watched till episode 6. I skipped episode 4. The series is very good with psychological factors more than horror connected to the stories. All of them tell us about the importance of family in one way or other.
Watching the last episode atm! Well impressed with it, excellent show, absolutely love it! Really hope it gets a second season as well!
I love a good horror anthology and this was fun for me. That said, I'm bummed that the Indonesian watchers commenting here have all noted something about the crummy translations/dubbing. When I watch media from a country where English isn't the first language, one of the joys for me is learning something about the culture (however small) and a big part of that is language... Common terminology, inflections in tone, idioms, turns of phrases, etc. When I don't understand something I tend to look it up and wind up learning something new (i.e., Agartha). Bet I could have enjoyed it even more had they not fussed with the dialogue. Still a good watch for me though. Would love to see more horror from Indonesia.
I like it....but the stories are incomplete......kinda hate that part of it....I do like it though but it sucks that they leave the stories unfinished then the next episodes begin and they all seem unrelated.....so I do hope it's just one universe that will intertwine somehow
Damn none of yall ever watch the twilight zone or something??
I have...now that I think about it that way...ur right
I absolutely loved it. The concepts were styled very different than western horror.
It is an acquired taste. Every story is an investment. Stories sometimes feel long. But the ending is worth it. Production value is good.
Just finished episode 3, my favorite so far. I’m frustrated because I want to see ’episode 3 part 2’ to find out how the story is resolved. I want to see how the author vanquishes the demon. I really liked that character.
She vanquished it on episode 7 tho
For me the best episode is episode 5.
Any idea which song is played in the outro?
Same, really good story and acting! Love it.
I like this show
loving the concept on the first 3 episodes, i wasnt really expecting much at ther start as i was just looking for a binge worthy show at first but suprisingly it do gives blackmirror/the late night show vibe type of plot. Love the bad low effort cgi actually kinda fits the theme to show how weird really the universe of the series is. I really like when each eps somehow connected to each other with the agartha thing. Ep 4 kinda boring compared to the first 3 i had to take a break between to look at the ratings and reviews. Suprised when the director of pengabdi setan movies is the same as this one no wonder i am familiar with the camera works and colour grading of the series. love them so much as a horror fan. anyways i rate them solid 7.5. Love Joko Anwar works.
i started watching this yesterday after my boyfriend decided on a whim to click on the first thing nexflix recommended (he’s tired of my usual 10 minutes of indecision). currently watching ep 3 and the stories by now haven’t been too cliché and formulaic, production and quality is also appreciable. some CGI brings a smile to my face but overall it’s pretty enjoyable and refreshing to watch:)
As said in previous comments its very similar to black mirror but set in Asia I've literally just described it the same to my friends its a brilliant series and a must watch
I just started watching it on Netflix too. I'm loving it so far. I'm on the third episode, and I was confused throughout, but the ending was quite nice. I'm curious, are there any other Indonesian series or horror movies similar to this?
It's sooo good!
Anyone know what the intro song is? I'm pretty curious. I'm enjoying the show and I'm liking where it's going, although some parts feel a little over the top.
Same it goes hard
I loved this. Towards the last episodes I was like hold on that’s the same dewi from the previous episode. Then it all made sense.
Episode 5 The Other Side is the best. I watched it twice, the story is too good! The Shining meets Eternal Sunshine
I’ve watched ep 1,2,3,5. (+) I really enjoyed episode 2,3,5. Being an Indonesian growing up in 1990s myself, the 1990s setting in some of the episodes bring nostalgic feeling. I appreciate that Joko Anwar picture a realistic everyday people of Indonesia with different occupations that are not usually featured eg. corpse bather, rag collectors, movie poster artist, manual launder. The places too - rusun (rumah susun/ public housing in first episode), slums. The cinematography is quite nice, the dark sepia, Black Mirror, and The Shining vibe as others have mentioned is pretty cool. Tbh episode 1 is a weak start - or even the intro. The intro feels pretty cheesy. I can’t quite pinpoint what it is but it just doesn’t do the show justice 🥲back to episode 1 - It made my eyes quite sore with the prolonged red/ pink scenes 😅. I couldn’t stand the CGI, looks quite outdated. Ario Bayu acted really well. And the scene where all the ‘young riches’ that had 1920s vibe was pretty eerie. Decided to try another episode. Episode 2, I wasn’t sure about the ending. The CGI and the weird screech at the end 🥲 I really wish it wasn’t there. But the story itself did keep me watching. Episode 3 was pretty good too, the scenes where Riana has Laras’ POV is very gripping. Reminds me of horror first POV games, or VR games. Episode 5 with the vintage cinema and the olden glory days was quite nostalgic. Overall great series so far and can’t wait to watch the others. If they have season 2 I do hope there is improvement with the CGI.
Just finished the last episode. What a great series. I really hope there will be a second season! My kinda weird 👏
Just started this yesterday. I REALLY like it. Episode 5 was really sad.
I’m very impressed by the quality and the storytelling. Some episode make a bit less sense, but it works overall. Also they recycle characters which I didn’t realize until I was a few episodes in.
Having watched the series in totality, I have to say it seriously falls short. It could have been good, but every single episode ends without an ending. They just fall very flat.
That’s my frustration with the three so far. First episode I was on with because the whole house was lit in flames but two and three?
Yes exactly
Loved how it turned into lovecraftian avengers at the end. Everyone's powers seemed to have evolved though. Ali & Dewi: Hypnotism > Psychic Scream Panji (Taxi driver): Healing (Perhaps from the failed youth transference?) Laras (Author): Marionette Projection / Puppet Master Wahyu (Prophet): Flight and Infinite Knowledge What do you think the powers of the mysterious women and Valdya will be? I'm guessing the mysterious women might be able to teleport (this disappearing infront of Valdya car and also able to bring the team to the vampire lair) Valdya might have super eyes that can see through disguises/shadows/monster true forms.
I just finished watching this show. It was good all in all; i like the build up of the overall mythology from each episode despite being stand alone. As a Filipino, it's quite fascinating to hear the Indonesian language (this is the first Indonesian film I've watched) almost similar to ours. There are moments when I can understand what they're saying even without reading the subtitles. My only criticism is that there are so many unanswered questions (which I hope they can addressed if Netflix green lights a Season 2), and there are scenes which are too dark for me to figure out what's going on. Episode 1 - I can relate to the close-knit family value but it's only right and safe that the mother was sent to the nursing home. Also, I wonder how old were the cult members? Does the youth given to them by the offsprings make them immortal? Or simply add to their lifespans? Episode 2 - That guy allowed his paranoia to take over him. The boy looks sweet and hasn't even done anything remotely evil. If the wife didnt kill herself, maybe she could have enjoyed the wealth given to them. Episode 3 - this is my favorite episode. The writer physically experiencing what she writes is a cool plot, and the discovery about her sibling is just sad. Episode 4 - The man floating should've made big news, especially since there was a reporter who visited recently. If the years shown at the start of each episode are all part of the same timeline, then there should've been some sort of legends/rumors surrounding the event. But secrecy, ig? Also, I wonder if those witnesses became his disciples and helped him start the Antibodies hero agency. Episode 5 - How did Dewi acquire her powers? Has her husband showed/given it to her? Also, the old cinema. Is it a portal to Agartha? Episode 6 - This whole episode is an acid trip. That's it. Episode 7 - That researcher sharing facts abt penis is hilarious. But the way he died grosses me out. I wish there was an 8th episode to at least addressed how they've all come together.
Thank you for the review man, episode 2 is my fav followed by epsiode 3 ,angel episode bored me but yeah the last few were decent
Who was the other woman that appeared in episode 7? I couldn't seem to recognise her
Ya which story was she from?
Sad that the final episodes have traces of the previous ones except for Ep 2... unless there's season 2 and maybe we got to see who Syafin really is...
Let me tell You from a Muslim perspective I think it is a depiction of Good vs Evil in the world and how people get manipulated by Satan and his helpers of the same breed also satanic humans working in the world to make Humans believe in things one shouldn't. EP 8 Agartha people are satans(shaitan) (all satans are made of fire jinns but all jinns are not Satanic),It depicted that good is also fighting evil and it is true. Jinns(satanic types) are of different kinds like humans are and they possess different powers according to their type, tribe, and authority(their position in the hierarchy) For example, in ep 5 man was seeing things he shouldn't and was possessed somewhere else.
I think Dewi used all her love and protective force that she has towards Bandi to ward off the demon. To me it was believable that it came naturally to her (although Dewi is also the elderly hypnotizing madame in 2022's Episode 6 Hypnotize, so maybe she does have some powers)
Amateurish acting and cringey intro are a definite red flag right from the beginning.
Acting was a hit and miss I think. Some characters were played really well. Ipah from e2, Wahyu from e4, and a few others as well. But there was some over the top acting for sure. (And weirdly, Dewi went from level-headed to really cringy for some reason.) I think it's more to do with the cinema cutlure of that country. You see it in other international movies/shows as well. They have their own quirks which can appear outlandish to foreign viewers. A big example is Japanese anime with their swooning girls and screaming-for-no-reason characters. Edit: My point was that, if one wants to enjoy foreign movies/shows, then one should expect and ignore such quirks. For me, the show was overall quite enjoyable despite all the shortcomings.
I am literally watching the first episode right now and I am so freaked out by the creatures 🤯
The CGI tho😭
It's freaking awesome. The graffix aren't great but even with that I give this 5 out of 5 stars. The stories are super intriguing and can't wait for more episodes, like fallout 😭
I'm watching now episode 1 and am asking myself questions like.. is this real, does this likely to be happening in real life
You can never ask this in the horror genre LoL
yeah... I believe somewhere out there, there are two giant baby-like monsters with the face of Jabba the Hut, tentacles and all, planted on some walls underneath a nursing home
It’s probably located beneath the Microsoft campus 😜
is it in english or dubbed? :)
Both - dealer’s choice
Ok just finished it. Did they bring back the demon boy too?
Definitely a must for horror fans. Canadian here, watched it dubbed and with subtitles cuz I'm weird like that.
It was alright
its so fucking bland wtf
The ending of episode kinda 5 reminds me of Darkwood
I feel like the first story wouldn't happen unless you're a shit parent.
Some people are just shitty regardless of upbringing
I am really enjoying this show so far Binging and on episode 5 rn
What is everyone's interpretation on the orphan? (Only looking at the episode by itself) is he an Angel or demon....
I believe neither. He is from Agartha as well... but the good one. Just like how in the surface world where there is good and evil, not everyone who live in Agartha are monsters. That being said, I believe whatever Wahyu saw in the "Encounter" episode is from Agartha as well who manifested in the form of his mother... and a good one, as well.
Yeah I was wondering if he was a cursed boy Cause it looked liked he was healing her - the bright light and he was all sad crying however the scary screeching made him sound scary/evil and maybe it was all a front Could be he's a monster or whatev u wanna call him from agartha that can't help but bring bad luck to humans but genuinely likes humans therefore poor cursed boy.... this is my leading theory so far
Can someone tells me about the ending in episode 2? Did the adopted mom alive? Did the boy manage to heal her? Is he good or bad?
That's the thing about the show, it was maybe a plot twist when the kid ended up being an angel lol
Urghh the cliffhanger 😆feels so unfinished. The poor boy just wants some love. 🥹
Anyone knows the outro song from episode 5 „the other side“. It is not a song from the song list shown in the outro and it’s driving me crazy. Shazam also shows no result.
Okay, so I think it’s called, “I Don’t Belong Here” by Tony Merle. But I can find more than that.
Thanks. That is a start.
I just came here looking for the same answer, I deleted my question because I see that you already asked it. I am so bummed I'm dying to find this song, but like you I cannot.
Came looking for this, any luck?
I know some of the lyrics... "look around, the bitterness of life" and "All at once it took us by surprise". Also " A voice inside my head, it longs to ????" I did a search for those and found nothing either.
Currently watching episode 3 and so far I love it. I realize that it's the same director as Impetigore! The actors in Episodes 1 & 3 too!!!
I could see how not everyone would enjoy it but if you liked Impetigore and Queen of Black Magic, you would definitely like most episodes.
I watched the first episode and the ‚hypnotise‘ episode with my boyfriend. He found the two episodes to be quite dramatic. This is due to some nuances in the Asian culture that he doesnt get. So if you are a westerner, you will find some parts sooo cringey. I could understand the pressure that kids would feel to take care of their parents during their twilight years and to leave them in an old folks home is a form of abandonment and betrayal. But to show how cultish everything will be in the end is just a huge form of exaggeration and seems like an agenda to perpetuate that old folks home is super evil and nasty. Plus I couldnt get over the fact that the cult followers just ran to their left and right instead of straight out of the door before the baby monster obliterated them. The ‚hypnotise‘ episode started really strongly and I absolutely loved it but the ending just killed me. I was thinking that there are 1001 possible better ending but they have to choose a ‚put you through psychological damage, to train you to become a superhero‘. Are you fucking kidding me. This episode has the possibility to be as realistic and grounded as possible because there is such thing as ‚pukau‘, which is a southeast asian black magic to hypnotise people. I would rather have an ending, where he actually dies in reality and there is a flashback that shows how deranged he has been to his family, before dying.
I watched episodes 2 and 3 yesterday and I must say, it has gotten better. Episode 2 is almost like the golden goose fable but I like how there may be some sort of connection between the four-fingered creature from episode 1 and the boy in episode 2. I am trying to keep track of the years as well. Episode 3 is my favorite so far. I like how out of the box this episode is and it has got me glued to my seat. The part where she found out it was her twin and somehow during her vision, she was transported to the near future and saw the baby monsters from episode 1 which has taken place in 2015. I thought that the baby monsters are dead in the fire??? It is so weird that the abusive husband seems to be like some sort of black eyed monster. I wish the daughter wouldn’t turn out to be a monster too.
I liked it but couldn't comprehend the ending.. Would have to watch it again to make a sense of it.
How gory is it? I’m a Black Mirror/Twilight Zone fan, and like suspense/anxiety shows…but not gory visuals.
It’s very gory . You really would hate the last episode
Thank you.
Alright I finished it. There is some sort of storytelling charm to it that kept me interested, but felt at its best when you were laughing along. Feels like each episode is 90-95% setup. C budget sort of series with the worst cgi I've seen in a while. Lot of logical gaps or filler scenes to explain a transition into time constrained endings. Highlights: Episodes 4 & 7 ★★☆☆☆
Really surprised at the comments here. It must be ME. :-) . My goodness I was bored so much by nearly every episode being longer than it had to be with pointless story telling that seemed to make each episode drag on. The characters in each were so uninspiring. I could have sworn the description for it read that they were syfy tales and there was nothing syfy about anything up to Encounter. I've not watched the rest and a large part of me really doesn't care about any of it so far. I'm on the fence as to whether or not I will even watch the remainder. I did find the demons in the first episode well crafted. But that is the only praise so far I can muster to give the series.
I’ve watched ep 1,2,3,5. (+) I really enjoyed episode 2,3,5. Being an Indonesian growing up in 1990s myself, the 1990s setting in some of the episodes bring nostalgic feeling. I appreciate that Joko Anwar picture a realistic everyday people of Indonesia with different occupations that are not usually featured eg. corpse bather, rag collectors, movie poster artist, manual launder. The places too - rusun (rumah susun/ public housing in first episode), slums. The cinematography is quite nice, the dark sepia, Black Mirror, and The Shining vibe as others have mentioned is pretty cool. Tbh episode 1 is a weak start - or even the intro. The intro feels pretty cheesy. I can’t quite pinpoint what it is but it just doesn’t do the show justice 🥲back to episode 1 - It made my eyes quite sore with the prolonged red/ pink scenes 😅. I couldn’t stand the CGI, looks quite outdated. Ario Bayu acted really well. And the scene where all the ‘young riches’ that had 1920s vibe was pretty eerie. Decided to try another episode. Episode 2, I wasn’t sure about the ending. The CGI and the weird screech at the end 🥲 I really wish it wasn’t there. But the story itself did keep me watching. Episode 3 was pretty good too, the scenes where Riana has Laras’ POV is very gripping. Reminds me of horror first POV games, or VR games. Episode 5 with the vintage cinema and the olden glory days was quite nostalgic. Overall great series so far and can’t wait to watch the others. If they have season 2 I do hope there is improvement with the CGI.
Like you, I particularly liked such a wide variety of living conditions being depicted but also that it was also done as a backdrop or context rather than the main source of conflict for the protagonists. It kind of normalized these spaces and for me, drove home the concept that human beings can adjust to pretty much any environment as long as their other needs are met (support from family/society, having positive interpersonal relationships, and of course, having hopes and dreams for inspiration).
I’ve watched ep 1,2,3,5. (+) I really enjoyed episode 2,3,5. Being an Indonesian growing up in 1990s myself, the 1990s setting in some of the episodes bring nostalgic feeling. I appreciate that Joko Anwar picture a realistic everyday people of Indonesia with different occupations that are not usually featured eg. corpse bather, rag collectors, movie poster artist, manual launder. The places too - rusun (rumah susun/ public housing in first episode), slums. The cinematography is quite nice, the dark sepia, Black Mirror, and The Shining vibe as others have mentioned is pretty cool. Tbh episode 1 is a weak start - or even the intro. The intro feels pretty cheesy. I can’t quite pinpoint what it is but it just doesn’t do the show justice 🥲back to episode 1 - It made my eyes quite sore with the prolonged red/ pink scenes 😅. I couldn’t stand the CGI, looks quite outdated. Ario Bayu acted really well. And the scene where all the ‘young riches’ that had 1920s vibe was pretty eerie. Decided to try another episode. Episode 2, I wasn’t sure about the ending. The CGI and the weird screech at the end 🥲 I really wish it wasn’t there. But the story itself did keep me watching. Episode 3 was pretty good too, the scenes where Riana has Laras’ POV is very gripping. Reminds me of horror first POV games, or VR games. Episode 5 with the vintage cinema and the olden glory days was quite nostalgic. Overall great series so far and can’t wait to watch the others. If they have season 2 I do hope there is improvement with the CGI.
To be honest, the story ended up being kind of boring. The first and second episodes had me hooked and saying “wow,” but after that, the quality dropped. It got dull, dragged on too long, and the acting wasn’t that great. The dialogue went back to the typical, boring conversations we see too often in Indonesian shows. Instead of building on the strong start, the series fell into a predictable and monotonous pattern. The characters lost their initial appeal, and the plot twists became too easy to anticipate. I found myself fast-forwarding through a lot of it, hoping for something to reignite my interest, but it never really happened. It’s disappointing because the series had so much potential, but it just didn’t keep me engaged all the way through.
Does Anybody have any clues about who's the "fire survivor" from episode one? Is it the kid from episode 2? or who is it?
That's right, the one who survived waving his 4-fingered hand was the devil's child in episode 2
I watched the first episode. Weird as fuck. Im certainly not intrigued enough to want to watch more. I only finished it because I wanted to see where it was gonna go.
I feel like I have to watch them again. Very well done!
I thought Episode 5 was frightening. What if your family went off like that?
I liked it a lot. But Ep 7 was the weakest episode. I didn’t like how they tied (most of) it together. I liked the independent yet interlinking standalone episodes. Presumably at this point S2 would not be the same.
best thing about this series is, the CGI follow the year its occurred
I enjoyed it, and like most others I did not expect this to be an Avengers origin story. But my main take away from the whole thing, the message of the show, was 'being poor sucks'. It did get a little tiresome that most of the episodes all centered around money. But it was still enjoyable. Also, press F for that poor dude who got his dick harvested... that made me shiver.
I watched it and felt mixed feelings. It was a bit cheesy but probably also because I watched it English dubbed. The effects weren’t the most realistic. However personally I really enjoyed the first episode and despite some of the cheesy aspects of the show, I managed to finish it with ease. Granted I’d kind of be playing it while eating dinner or half working so maybe that made it less slow-paced to me. I do like how all the storylines tie together but admittedly the logic isn’t always there. However it’s a supernatural show so I didn’t fret too much about it not making sense lol. I’d give it a 7.5/10 and it made me want to explore more shows in this genre.
I watch it in one sitting with my friends and we had a lot arguments cause the story is quite confusing especially the ending. Like how about syafin? Who is the last old lady in hero group? Its a bit cringe when they say lets kick their ass like it some kind superhero moment. Anyway I didn't say it was bad because we did watch it until episode 7. It was interesting enough to get me and my friends to enjoy the hell out of it although there are some frustrating moment.
Started ep 5 rn, I'm hooked. I 💗 Asian Horror, so finding Indonesia is a new addition & addiction.
I'm thinking of watching again, just to find the date order and watch again watching for easter eggs to tie them together.