Movie Review: Tumbal Proyek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McymJCOx-YE

I think I should take a break from watching Indonesian horror for now—or at least until something great comes along from Joko Anwar. Because seriously, what was this movie even trying to be?

I am giving Tumbal Proyek a 2/10, and let me break down exactly why.

First of all, the storyline is completely all over the place. It feels as though the filmmakers tried to pull inspiration from every Hollywood horror movie in existence and mash them into one narrative, resulting in an absolute mess of explosive diarrhea. While the initial premise is solid enough, the narrative completely loses its focus. Instead of obsessing over why people are being sacrificed, the script should have focused on the core conflict: why the sea goddess is furious about the bridge being built in the first place.

The movie confused me to the point where I just wanted it to be over, merely 30 minutes into the runtime. Clocking in at 107 minutes, it felt unnecessarily long and dragged out. To make matters worse, it relies way too heavily on cheap, loud sound effects for jump scares. The random assortment of ghosts, monsters, and creatures thrown at the screen simply did not work.

The character choices were equally frustrating. I don’t understand why the male lead seems like he is trying to look cool all the time. His acting consistently comes across as someone forcing a "macho, cool guy" persona. I am honestly not sure if that was the intended direction for his character or if he is just a bad actor.

Ultimately, Tumbal Proyek could have been so much better if they had focused on the lore—specifically, why the sea goddess is mad and what dark promises were made between her and the contractor. Relying heavily on cheap jumpscares and mindless gore does absolutely nothing to elevate this film. Save your time and skip this one.