In 2022, Temurun added to the existing Indonesian horror film tradition by intertwining folklore with a tale of familial trauma and dark secrets hidden in ancestral homes. The work of a newcomer, director Inarah Syarafina wrote the film alongside Vontian Suwandi, crafting a narrative about the horrors of legacy—emotional and spiritual—sustained through generations in a family scarred within the realm of cruelty.
Synopsis
This horror tale sparks off with an eruption of a vicious murder, Dewi surviving it alongside her younger sibling, Sena. She, too, was a victim to losing her mother in Shutter Island-esque mystique. The two children become orphans and somehow seen as an inconvenience that people want to hide away. With no other option, they are callously placed with their estranged father. He, for some reason, lives in a secluded rural mansion that is passed on in their family’s lineage for decades to come. Their arrival welcomes them with a grandma – Gayatri and a nurse – Hesti. Both unsettling characters and as the story progresses, reveal deeper layers to them.
Just as she describes her grief Dewi feels an uncanny presence almost immediately. Her nights are interrupted by strange noises emanating from the hallways which appear to have sinister symbols carved into them. As Dewi tries to understand the history of the mansion, she learns that their family is trapped in a dark matriarchal custom interspersed with cruel superstitions which believes in supernatural powers. This custom goes back into the ancestors who once operated a slaughterhouse that supposedly catered to more than just livestock.
It appears that the more Dewi strives to discover the truth, the more tangled the web becomes. Sena, her brother begins acting strange – he goes from silence to raving lunatic mode. In the character of their father, who genuinely seems to want to connect, is a masked a lot more than he shows. The conclusion of the matter is suggesting that the house may very well be alive and drains off the trauma and blood of its inhabitants. The siblings are not mere victims of a tragic past entwined together, they are the main figures in an occult rite that needs to be fulfilled one way or another.
Temurun Analysis: Themes and Symbolism
More than a horror film filled with jump scares, Temurun is a show that relies on family history. Temurun for example, is not your typical jump-scare ridden horror film, but rather relies on emotional, psychological, and symbolic storytelling. This juxtaposition drives home the main point that the film New Temurun is concerned with: the inescapable weight of family history.
In its very core, the film revolves around how people often suffer from intergenerational trauma. Dewi and Sena are products of a broken lineage: a lineage that is not just bound to secrets, but to violence as well. After their mother dies, Dewi and Sena attempt to uncover the truth step by step. Their mother’s death acts as both a tragedy and a trigger, unleashing a chain of realizations that forces them to confront the underlying truth of the reality. Each creaking floorboard or locked room acts as a metaphor for a suppressed memory or buried truth, allowing the audience to tag along as the characters start living in the haunted mansion.
These elements combine to what can be described as a metaphoric form or trauma and uncovering excruciating memories. The slaughterhouse aspect of the story, however, combines both visceral horror with a critique of desensitization to violence akin to how the family’s historical wealth has been shown to absorb, Death, Blood, and Control. The engravings acts a reminder to the audience that some people in this world are omnipotent, encouraging their insidious nature. The ritualistic nature of the legacy also provides a glimpse into how some culture and family traditions encourage the suffering of human beings consequent to the damage inflicted upon them from the past.
Performances and Characters
Yasamin Jasem’s compelling performance as Dewi is a definitive highlight of the film. Jasem brings to life the challenges of a young woman trying to hold on to logic while being confronted by supernatural and emotional forces. Dewi’s gradual creep into paranoia and fear is believably and expertly crafted through Jasem’s nuanced performance.
Sena, played by Bryan Domani, adds a volatile edge to the film. Domani’s representation of Sena encompasses both sympathy and menace because the character oscillates between being vulnerable and dangerously unpredictable. His character’s subsequent transformations over the course of the narrative suggest that he may be profoundly affected by the family’s curse.
Adding depth to the film is veteran actress Jajang C. Noer as Gayatri, the grandmother who has an unsettling ability to fill the room with her quiet presence. An embodiment of secrets and traditions, her relationship with Dewi is filled with a horrifying blend of warmth and dread. Mian Tiara, who takes on the role of the housekeeper Hesti, is also important to the narrative because she is depicted as a ghostly navigator through the chaos of the mansion’s history.
Direction and Visual Style
In her directorial debut, Inarah Syarafina brings a keen understanding of how atmosphere can anchor horror with themes of supernatural folklore in the film Temurun. She avoids the overused tropes of horror films and instead slow camera movements, natural lighting, and long takes to immerse the viewer into a sense of dread. The film’s color palette is dominated by muted earth tones—browns, grays, and faded greens—which elicits the overwhelming feeling of neglect and rot.
The mansion is a character in the film. It’s rotting wood gives rise to damp stone floors while the damp corridors whisper timelessness and entrapment. The use of ambient sound design, practical effects, and minimal CGI allows the film to maintain a sober documentary-level quality which makes the supernatural moments all the more shocking in their appearance.
Reception And Impact
Temurun received mixed to positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. While some applauded the psychological depth, originality, and emotional resonance of the film, others criticized the slow pacing and ambiguity of the plot. Fans of folk horror and psychological thrillers received the film particularly well, with its layered storytelling and focus on familial dynamics drawing comparisons to Hereditary and The Others.
The film’s 4.6/10 rating on IMDb might represent an imbalance between the fans of atmospheric horror and those who prefer more action or direct scares, but a rating does not capture the cultural and thematic depth the film is trying to convey. In the context of Indonesian horror cinema, however, Temurun marks a significant shift as it prioritizes character and mood over special effects, using the medium to portray deep social and personal anxieties.
Conclusion
Temurun is not simply a ghost tale; it is an eerie reflection on what it means to be confined by family, legacy, and trauma. With stunning cinematography, subdued performances, and intimate storytelling, the film compels the audience to confront the forces shaping their identities. While it might not appeal to all horror enthusiasts, those willing to engage with the heavy atmosphere and rich symbolism will find Temurun haunting in the most captivating way. In the context of Southeast Asian horror cinema, it is a work of remarkable ambition and emotional resonance.
Watch Free Movies on o2tvseries