Movie Review: Alas Roban
- Faiz Faisal
- 18 hours ago
- 2 min read
I went into Alas Roban fully "seated." Between the director’s track record (Sijjin, Pemandi Jenazah), a stellar cast, and a trailer that used a hauntingly mellowed version of Nike Ardilla’s "Bintang Kehidupan," all the boxes were ticked. As someone familiar with the eerie vibes of Jalan Bukit Putus, I was ready for a localized, atmospheric descent into one of Indonesia’s most famous haunted routes.
Unfortunately, 30 minutes in, the engine stalled.
The "Anthology" Potential
The biggest tragedy of this film is that it tries to be everything at once. The script touches on fascinating lore: the mysterious warung pecel lele, the white tiger (Harimau Putih), the white monkey, and the grim history of mass graves. Each of these could have been a standout 20-minute segment in an anthology horror film. Instead, they are all jammed into a single 90-minute narrative, making the movie feel generic and unfocused. By trying to tell every story, they ended up telling none of them well.
Emotional Misfires
The film attempts a "mother-daughter survival" arc (reminiscent of Train to Busan), but the bond between Sita (Michelle Ziudith) and her daughter Gendis never achieves the "emotional kick" required to make you care. Because the plot is so busy introducing the next ghost, the character development is left in the rearview mirror.
Cheap Thrills vs. Storytelling
Despite the "heavy hitters" in the cast, their performances are overshadowed by a reliance on shock-value jump scares. The horror doesn't build layers; it just screams at you. Many of the supernatural appearances felt random—leaving me asking "Why is that ghost even there?" rather than feeling genuinely unsettled.
Verdict 5/10
It’s a massive waste of a high-caliber cast and rich urban legend. If you’re a die-hard fan of the cast, you might find something to enjoy, but for everyone else? Wait for it to hit Netflix.
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