Review 'SELEPAS TAHLIL': A Horror Film with a Moral Message

Kapanlagi.com - SELEPAS TAHLIL was once referred to as one of the Indonesian horror films that offers a different story from most. Starring Aghniny Haque, Bastian Steel, and Epy Kusnandar, SELEPAS TAHLIL is not just a horror film but an emotional journey about family, curses, and a sense of guilt that is realized too late.

This film raises a viral story from the Lentera Malam podcast about the terror from a corpse after a tahlilan. The story begins with the mysterious death of Hadi (Epy Kusnandar), whose corpse cannot be buried peacefully. Instead of resting in peace, the corpse rises and walks on its own from Surabaya to Lamongan.

His two children, Saras (Aghniny Haque) and Yudhis (Bastian Steel), must face the reality that the father they thought they knew actually harbors dark secrets—a secret that now terrorizes them through a pact of black magic from the past.

Here is the review of SELEPAS TAHLIL from the KapanLagi.com editorial team. For KLovers who do not want to get many spoilers, you can stop reading here.

1. Main Strengths: Stellar Performances by the Three Main Characters

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Epy Kusnandar, Bastian Steel, and Aghniny Haque prove their quality as top actors and actresses in the country. Their solid performances are the lifeblood of this 1 hour and 36 minutes long film. Despite the film's primary genre being horror, the combination of their acting successfully adds a touch of family drama amidst the tension being presented.

2. Cinematography and Sound Effects

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From a technical perspective of shooting and sound selection, this film presents a perfect blend, neither lacking nor excessive. The horror atmosphere is achieved with a color composition that is not overly dark. The chosen sound effects increase the intensity of the tension, making excessive jumpscares unnecessary to guide the audience there.

3. Moral Message Presented

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This film delivers a very clear moral message. "We can run from ghosts but we can't run from our own family," said Aghniny in a dialogue, illustrating the main moral message of this film.

As a film primarily watched by the younger generation, the audience is made aware of the importance of caring for their parents who have worked hard to raise them. AFTER TAHLIL seems to 'urge' us to be devoted to our parents while they are still alive in this world.

4. Room for Improvisation

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The Javanese dialogue in this film feels bland or 'lacking in authenticity'. This is understandable because two of the three main characters, Epy Kusnandar and Bastian Steel, are not from the Javanese ethnic group. However, their effort to use Javanese, even though it is still mixed with Indonesian, deserves special appreciation.

Additionally, this film is labeled as mainstream horror because it still draws on Islamic and Javanese culture, which has been frequently used as a draw to attract viewers. Nevertheless, these two elements are presented 'as they are' and feel close to the daily lives of most Indonesians.

5. Rating

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From the reviews above, SELEPAS TAHLIL received a rating of 8/10 from the editorial team of KapanLagi.com. It would be interesting if a sequel is developed by BION Studios for this film, with some efforts to make SELEPAS TAHLIL even more 'gripping'.

(kpl/ums)