Movie Review: Jembatan Shiratal Mustaqim

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAxEXf48qnA

Movie Review: Jembatan Shiratal Mustaqim

I recently watched Jembatan Shiratal Mustaqim, another installment in the Siksa Neraka Universe, and before I even get into the movie itself, I need to say this: religious horror hits differently when you actually believe in what it’s portraying.

I remember back in high school, my ustazah once played an audio recording of alleged grave torture. I was terrified. It genuinely shook me and, at that moment, brought me back to my senses. As a Muslim, I do believe in the hereafter, in heaven and hell, in accountability beyond this life. So watching movies that attempt to visualize that realm doesn’t just feel like entertainment — it feels personal.

And maybe that’s exactly why this movie frustrates me so much.

I wouldn’t call myself a fan of religious horror. There’s always that internal conflict: is this a reminder, or is this sensationalising something sacred? On one hand, you could argue that films like this are meant to serve as warnings. On the other hand, can we — as humans — truly fathom or accurately depict the reality of the afterlife? I’m not entirely convinced.

If we genuinely want to understand the hereafter, I’d rather learn from scholars, from people who have studied the Quran and the hadith deeply. Not from a cinematic universe trying to capitalise on fear.

Now, putting the theological reflection aside — this movie is just… bad.

And I don’t mean the message. I mean the plot.

Much like Siksa Neraka, the issue isn’t the concept. It’s the execution. The storytelling is messy, the structure feels all over the place, and instead of being thought-provoking or spiritually unsettling, it becomes unintentionally chaotic. There’s no strong narrative backbone holding it together. Scenes happen, punishments are shown, emotions are forced — but nothing feels cohesive.

It doesn’t educate. It doesn’t terrify. It doesn’t even emotionally move you in a meaningful way. It just feels like noise.

By the end of it, I didn’t feel reminded. I didn’t feel reflective. I just felt like I wasted my time.

If I had a choice, I genuinely wouldn’t rate this movie. But since we’re here — it’s a 1/10.

And that one point is just because the rating system doesn’t allow zero.