Main Together in the Film THE WOMAN BRINGER OF MISFORTUNE, Morgan Oey Admired Didik Nini Thowok

Kapanlagi.com - The latest horror film titled THE WOMAN BRINGER OF MISFORTUNE has haunted cinema screens since September 18, 2025. Starring Morgan Oey and Raihaanun, this film directed by Fajar Nugros previously caught attention with its award for Best Editing at the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival (JAFF).

In an exclusive interview with KapanLagi, Morgan Oey as the character Bana and Susanti Dewi as the producer shared their experiences during the shooting process. From challenges in delving into characters, mystical incidents of the camera moving by itself, to the involvement of dance maestro Eyang Didik Hadiprayitno alias Nini Thowok which added a magical aura on set.

Check out the latest article about Morgan Oey at Liputan6.com

1. Not Just Relying on Jumpscares

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The film THE CURSED WOMAN comes with a different approach from most local horror films. Santi, as the producer, emphasizes that this work by director Fajar Nugros does not merely rely on shocking moments, but offers a deeper layer of storytelling. According to her, Nugros always has a unique way of wrapping stories with myths and folk legends that are close to Indonesian culture.

"It's not just about relying on jumpscares, that's what makes it interesting. Nugros always has a layer that he wants to convey when making films. Here, I see that Fajar is playing around with several things. First, he raises the myth of Bahu Laweyan itself. But Fajar always likes to wrap stories within a folk legend," explains Santi.

2. Character Challenges for Morgan

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For Morgan Oey, the biggest challenge actually comes from his own character. He plays Bana, a figure who has a significant influence on the main character. Morgan believes that the story of this film has a reflective power that can touch the audience. When asked by the host of KapanLagi, Morgan candidly shared the reasons why he agreed to portray Bana in the film THE CURSED GIRL.

"First, it’s definitely the story, yes. Because, after all, the story is the backbone of a film. So when the story is indeed compelling for us actors and we believe that this film can bring something new, can serve as a reflection or be reflective for people. That is truly something that will be exciting to work on. So besides the story, it’s definitely the character, yes. The character here, Bana. I portray Bana, Rancak Bana. So every time I get a character, I will definitely try to understand the character so that I can, either like him or not like him, but at least I have a feeling that I’m invested in the character," Morgan elaborated.

3. The Woman Who Brings Bad Luck Wins Best Editing at JAFF

KapanLagicom/Adrian Utama Putra

The quality of THE WOMAN WHO BRINGS BAD LUCK is proven by its impressive achievement: this film won the Best Editing award at the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival (JAFF). According to Santi, this achievement is inseparable from the skilled hands of editor Mamad Anggoro and Wawan Wibowo who supervised the editing process.

Santi expressed, "I think Mamad Anggoro as the editor, and also Mas Wawan Wibowo as the supervisor of the editing, both did their jobs very well. Because in the editing process, we indeed worked very meticulously, how to stitch the images together, so that the film THE WOMAN WHO BRINGS BAD LUCK can become a very interesting horror presentation."

4. Camera Moves on Its Own at the Shooting Location

KapanLagicom/Adrian Utama Putra

The tense atmosphere was also experienced by the film crew when shooting at one of the filming locations. According to Santi, the place used to be the resting place of kings, so the aura felt very strong. An unexpected event occurred when the camera suddenly moved on its own without anyone touching it.

Santi reminisced, "So we were shooting, right? Everyone was already ready, and everything. Fajar was in the frame, like action and all. This was during a scene, suddenly, out of nowhere, the camera that was in focus just... suddenly."

Morgan added with a surprised expression, "It moved on its own, right? Focused out."

According to Santi, the incident repeated itself until the director decided to stop the shooting. "Then Fajar said, okay, maybe we're being told to wrap it up. Alright," she said. Morgan also admitted that the story was quite chilling.

5. The Presence of Eyang Nini Thowok

KapanLagicom/Adrian Utama Putra

One of the most special elements in this film is the involvement of the dance maestro, Eyang Didik Hadiprayitno, also known as Nini Thowok. According to Santi, his presence is inseparable from the direct approach of director Fajar Nugros, who successfully convinced him. Eyang's presence in complete costume adds a mystical aura to the shooting location, while also showing high dedication through in-depth research on the role played.

Santi said, "That's Fajar. Fajar who has that direct approach. As far as I know, Fajar has been quite persistent in wooing Eyang Didik."

Morgan added, "But from the moment of the reading, he really treats his character seriously. In the sense that he does research. Even the fabrics for the costume were researched by him. That's what I actually admire. Because honestly, sometimes us younger ones can be a bit inconsistent with our discipline. But, examples like Eyang Didik, why he can achieve long longevity in his career, why he lasts long like that. Maybe that's what should be emulated."

(kpl/fna)