Nostalgia, These Are 7 Indonesian Horror Movies that Accompanied the Spooky Stories of the 90s

Kapanlagi.com - If you were born in the 90s, then your childhood was filled with various spooky stories. From the story of the sundel bolong who liked to kidnap children, to the popular game of jelangkung among children of the 90s. All these spooky stories came from movies or television shows that were definitely watched by children of the 90s. Unlike today, where we can search for and watch stories from other countries through gadgets, back then the most popular entertainment was television shows. And one of the favorite things to watch for children of the 90s was Indonesian horror movies, which there were many of.

Indonesian horror movies are closely related to superstitions and myths that exist in Indonesia. Most Indonesian horror movies present ghosts that wander because they died with unfinished business or out of curiosity. That's why Indonesian ghosts often tell stories of why they are wandering and why they disturb humans. And this is certainly different from European ghost stories that often revolve around someone being possessed by an evil demon. So, to remember the spooky times of the 90s, here are some Indonesian horror movies that scared children of the 90s, as reported by various sources.

1. THERE IS A DEVIL HERE

Here There Is a Devil (credit: Special)

The first Indonesian horror film is a story from a television series titled THERE IS A DEVIL HERE. This series tells the story of a group of young people who hunt ghosts in Indonesia. In this series, there are many types of ghosts that are depicted, such as flat-faced ghosts, flat-headed ghosts, and many more.

Not only does it present the mystical story, but this film also delivers moral messages or real stories from a place to create an even more terrifying impression on the audience. This television series has 76 episodes from 2003. Even though it has been running for 17 years, those of you born in the 90s must be very familiar with this television series. And of course, it is always remembered until now.

2. JELANGKUNG

Jelangkung (credit: id.wikipedia.org)

The second Indonesian ghost film is JELANGKUNG. This film was very popular in 2001 and became popular among children who used to love playing jelangkung games at school or in the yard. Due to its popularity, many children made jelangkung dolls from wood and coconut shells, while others only made them with pencils or pens.

Many people experimented to see if playing jelangkung could summon a ghost or restless spirit. Jelangkung is very similar to the Ouija board game. Someone will ask questions while holding the jelangkung doll, and if the doll has possessed the jelangkung, it will answer the questions by moving the doll on the ground or paper.

According to circulating stories, playing jelangkung is very dangerous because we can summon wandering ghosts and cannot send them back. Unfortunately, these ghosts will follow us and constantly disturb us. The way to play jelangkung is with a group of people and also reciting a mantra that goes,

"Jelangkung, jelangsat, there's a party here, a small party, jelangkung jelangsat, come uninvited, leave without escort."

Jelangkung itself is an extreme game in Indonesia and has been a myth since ancient times, passed down through generations until now.

3. SUSTER NGESOT

Suster Ngesot (credit: id.wikipedia.org)

The next Indonesian horror film is SUSTER NGESOT. If you were born in the 90s, you would know about the story of suster ngesot and how it became a hit in Indonesia. Suster ngesot is a myth that circulates in Indonesia, which happened in one of the famous hospitals in Jakarta and West Java. Although there are slightly different versions, the end of the story of suster ngesot is the same.

It is told how a nurse was injured in her ankle and killed, so she died with a curiosity without being able to walk. That's why the nurse walks by dragging both of her feet. The film SUSTER NGESOT has also been made into many feature films. Even the television series DI SINI ADA SETAN made one of its episodes about the ghost of suster ngesot. How about KLovers? Does anyone believe in the story of suster ngesot?

4. SI MANIS JEMBATAN ANCOL

Si Manis Jembatan Ancol (credit: Special; indonesianfilmcenter.com)

Then the next Indonesian ghost film nostalgia is SI MANIS JEMBATAN ANCOL. For those of you who were born in the 90s, you will know the story and film of SI MANIS JEMBATAN ANCOL. The story of si manis jembatan ancol is a Betawi legend, and has been told for a long time until now.

According to the story, si manis jembatan ancol is a young beautiful woman who was raped and murdered in the Ancol bridge area. Many researches have been conducted to find out the evidence that the story of si manis jembatan ancol is true. However, many Indonesian people have accidentally seen and met si manis.

According to many stories, si manis jembatan ancol wears red clothes from top to bottom. But there are also those who have never seen si manis even though they have been waiting for so long. The film SI MANIS JEMBATAN ANCOL was first brought to the screen in 1993 and has been made into several other stories on the screen.

5. BECOMING A POCONG

So Pocong (credit: Viandra Productions YouTube)

There is also a very famous television series among children in the 90s called BECOMING A POCONG. Just by looking at the picture, you will immediately know the title of the film. This television series tells the story of a girl named Mumun who wanders around because a grave digger forgot to untie her pocong's knot, and in the end, she wanders around during the night and day. Due to the success of this television series, a second season of BECOMING A POCONG was made, introducing a male pocong named Jefry.

This television series is based on a very famous old story that is still well-known today. The story is that if someone forgets to untie the coconut knot on the shroud of a deceased person, that person will become a pocong. They will rise from the grave and wander around at night. That is why this television series was successful and well-received by the Indonesian society at that time. Released in 2002, this television series left a lasting impression on children of the 90s.

6. HANTU JERUK PURUT

Hantu Jeruk Purut (credit: id.wikipedia.org)

The next Indonesian ghost film nostalgia is the film HANTU JERUK PURUT. The story of HANTU JERUK PURUT was very famous in the 2000s and was brought to the screen in 2006, which of course was very popular for kids in the 90s at that time. The film HANTU JERUK PURUT tells the story of a ghost priest who travels around TPU Jeruk Purut, Jakarta.

According to the story, this jeruk purut ghost is a true story that happened in 1986, where a cemetery guard at TPU Jeruk Purut saw a priest with a severed head walking with a black dog. Not only that, the priest also carried his own severed head. According to many stories, the priest was lost at that time, because he shouldn't have been in TPU Jeruk Purut, which is a Muslim cemetery.

And that's why the story of the jeruk purut ghost became one of the legendary stories in Jakarta. Although it has not been thoroughly investigated whether this story is true or not, at that time, many people were curious about this story and wanted to find out the truth.

7. CASABLANCA TUNNEL

Casablanca Tunnel (credit: instagram.com/raymon_matt)

And the last Indonesian horror film is CASABLANCA TUNNEL. For those of you who are residents of Jakarta, this story is no longer unfamiliar, even people from outside Jakarta know about this legendary story. This also happened due to the many accidents that occurred in the tunnel, some only suffered minor injuries to death.

There are many stories that happened in the tunnel, such as a woman wearing a red veil, to the appearance of a man hanging himself at the mouth of the tunnel. Because the story was widely discussed by the people, a film adaptation with the same title was made. And of course, at that time, this film was very successful in the market.

Those are 7 Indonesian horror films that can make 90s kids nostalgic for those stories. Besides being entertainment, these horror films are actually stories that have existed since ancient times and continue to be passed down to this day. Which certainly makes it a unique story in Indonesia.

(kpl/dhm)