Indigo review.
Indigo is a strong addition to the Indonesian horror realm. Though it might be trying to do a bit too much.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
Indigo
Directed by Rocky Soraya
Screenplay by Riheam Junianti
Starring Amanda Manopo, Aliando Syarief, Sara Wijayanto, Nicole Rosi, Ryoken Lie, Khadijah Aruma and Ferry Ardiansyah
Indigo Review
Indonesia is fast becoming a hotbed for horror. Led by Joko Anwar’s excellent Satan Slaves (and its equally excellent sequel) and Timo Tjahjanto’s memorable work in both feature films and anthologies…the region has been producing original, well-made content for some time now. Enter Rocky Soraya’s Indigo. Now streaming on Netflix…Indigo is an expertly crafted, full featured horror movie. In fact, its only mistake may be attempting to do too much.
Indigo goes deep into both ghost lore and familial backstory. It’s dense but approachable. Some of the attempts to connect ancestral themes to the present story fall a bit flat…but it’s a small misstep in a movie that isn’t afraid to take heavy swings. Production value is extremely high. The cast does an excellent job from top to bottom. Some of the scares find diminishing returns…but the story changes into something fresh soon enough. A slight step back for every two leaps forward is a deal you should sign up for every time.
A strong opening introduces us to Zora, a young girl with a sixth sense. This makes her a target for spirits trying to enter our world. Her parents turn to Mrs. Sekar (Sara Wijayanto) for help. As one spirit (a pregnant woman named Widuri) gets closer to Zora…they ask for her indigo powers to be suppressed. Zora grows up with no memory of her childhood trauma. Unfortunately, her little sister Ninda (Nicole Rossi) also has a sixth sense…and Widuri has returned.
Widuri herself is an effective ghostly figure. She pops into frame for some easy jump scares…but when it works, it works. The jump scares are the toppings on the sundae that Indigo serves up. The characters are (mostly) interesting and the backstory that the movie delves into is too. The only real issue comes from the story’s attempt to tie the anti-greed theme that plays a large role in the backstory to Zora’s fiancé Aksa (Aliando Syarief). It never gels right. Zora doesn’t want Aksa to continue his job because the company is evil. It never feels like he’s doing anything wrong, but he takes a lot of crap anyway. This is all before the backstory is even fully revealed. It feels out of place to start and heavy handed after the fact.
What works is Mrs. Sekar’s return to help Zora and Ninda. Widuri is relentless in her pursuit of Ninda. She wants Ninda’s body so she can become human. Zora is forced to confront her past and embrace her suppressed indigo abilities to help her sister. Widuri is connected to their family. She is never going to stop and will dispatch anyone who gets in her way. There are some shocking moments including a stunningly unexpected death scene.
Indigo puts a lot of care into the lore of the world. Zora and Ninda have different gifts. Ninda can see the future…a power that torments her. Zora, on the other hand, can see the past. It comes in handy for revealing important information. The movie thinks deeply enough to explain why Mrs. Sekar can’t just bind Ninda’s powers as she had for Zora.
There is a nice selection of horror techniques on display here. Some “pan the camera slowly” horror… ”something in the shadows” horror… ”pop up in unexpected places” horror. A variety of ways to leave you unsettled. The most effective moments come from Widuri herself. Indigo is doing some Insidious stuff…but it’s doing it very well.
Once Zora has her third eye reopened…Indigo becomes something new. A lot of things new, actually. There’s some possession, some ritual…and we get a flashback to Widuri’s tragic backstory. There’s a lot going on in Indigo…and almost all of it works. A ghost story that takes a lot of care with the why of it…not just the how. Often feeling like multiple movies packed into one…this is an extremely solid entry into the Indonesian horror world.
Scare Value
A likable cast, steady scares and enough unexpected moments to keep you on your toes. Indigo boasts high production values and a fully fleshed out script. In fact, it may try to be too fleshed out. While the theme of greed works for the central plot…it falls flat in other areas. It’s a minor issue. Most of what you’ll find in Indigo is a confident, well-crafted ghost story. Streaming now on Netflix.
3.5/5
Indigo Link
Streaming on Netflix
