The Curse That Flows Through the Veins
Anak Kunti (2025), from the Indonesian supernatural horror genre, featuring Eastern Ethnomedia under the stadium of celebration in the Year of Unbroken Spirit, tells a folkloric story deep rooted within mystery, lore, and dark ancestral echoes. The motion picture, led by director Bambang Drias, centers around the 1990s region of Central Java, interlacing tales of family, destiny, and the trembling hold of vengeance from an ethereal figure infamous across Javanese folklore as the kuntilanak.
Fuelled by piercing atmosphere, spine chilling acts, and reinforcement to powerful heritage, Anak Kunti breaks the boundaries of conventional horror. It endeavors to deliver an experience that stays true to it’s culture meaning a scream is just the beginning.
✨ CAST & CHARACTERS: Bound by Blood, Hunted by Ancestors
Harrowed by fragmented memories, Gisellma Firmansyah starts her haunting voyage to Wonoenggal’s enigmatic villages, hunting the roots behind recurring dreams only to harvest blood chained family secrets. The first candidates for the fist role in this grisly story is Ms. Sarah leading us down the unsettling journey of unraveling the greater narratives seated within heretics of a cursed lineage etched onto every father’s life. In the wake of unearthing phenomenons bound to her blood cell chronicles, she faces relentless nightmares tied back to a diffused boarding school and true origin unknown of her everchanging self – adorned with nightmares that go beyond.
Abun Sungkar as Majid
A Doctor working in the village, Majid becomes Sarah’s confidant and protector. Not a man of fantasy, Majid is rational and grounded but soon realizes that forces beyond science exist, and so does Sarah’s mysterious fate which increasingly pulls him in.
Wavi Zihan as Azizah
Sarah’s childhood friend, loyal and fearless. Azizah offers warmth and support but is also loyal and fiercely protective. As the supernatural pandemonium starts to unfold, she too is caught in a deadly web spun long before their time.
Jajang C. Noer as Mbok Darmi
The village shaman and self-declared guardian of tradition. She conceals secrets about Sarah’s birth and the kuntilanak’s curse, wielding power over a terrorized society through her lore-filled myths.
Supporting Cast
Iwa K. as Hasan, Nita Gunawan as Wati, Ruth Marini as Aminah, Selvi Kitty as Linda, Rendra Bagus Pamungkas as Karyo, Kukuh Prasetyo and Pritt Timothy in supporting roles.
📝 THE STORY – She Was Born With a Secret That Refused to Die
A woman pregnant with twins dies under tragic and mysterious circumstances during the riot in WonoenggalVillage around the early 1990s. One of the babies, Sarah, is born and immediately taken to a religious orphanage, her past concealed to keep her safe from a legacy filled with violence.Set several years in the future, Omah now needs Sharah to Akka which forces Sarah to suffer frightening nightmares of a dark, crying woman cloaked in white, a renegade spirit so feared in Indonesia mythology.
When Sarah attempts to take control of her life, her close friend applies to the program which gives her a ticket to return to Wonoenggal after years. She gets taked to a village overflowing with silence and fear. There she meets Majid, reunites with Azizah aged and becomes friends with the village’s extraordinary shaman named Mbok Darmi.
While unraveling the truth, Sarah starts believing the spirit that is haunting her dreams is not simply a phantom; but has the potential to be her mother, eternally cursed to aimlessly roam the world looking for justice.
In order to lift the curse, Sarah must come to face such things as her life’s past lies pregnancy and the horrifying possibility that she is the potential vessel for some unfathomable force.
🎭 THEMES – Identity, Legacy Burden and Religion
Motherhood and Deadly Madness: The nurturing bond between mother and child turns horrific as Sarah comes to terms with the dark reality of her roots.
Folk Beliefs Faith Conflict: The battle between religion and culture is one of the main sources of conflict within the plot.
Painful Inheritance: The narrative depicts the alacritous and fatal effects of trauma and guilt passed on through generations.
🎬 CINEMATIC STYLE & PRODUCTION
Anak Kunti transforms the picturesque and desolate silence of Central Java into the feeling of dread through overwhelming visuals and meticulous sound design. Candles light eerie rituals, deserted village houses pulse with fear of ancestors, and shadowy woods set the stage for a tale entwined with dread.
Director: Bambang Drias
Writers: Baskoro Adi, Andhy Pulung, Avesina Soebli, Bambang Drias
Producers: Jonathan HM, Avesina Soebli, Gito Huang, Marlia Nurdiyani
Cinematography: Atmospheric, using deep shadows and traditional color palettes
Production Company: Drias Film Production
KipasKipas
Running Time: 1 hr 35 min
Indonesian
Located: Purworejo – Central Java – Indonesia
Premiere: 20th February 2025
🌍 WORLDWIDE FIRST SHOWING & FEEDBACK
Anak Kunti was released simultaneously in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand and Pakistan, making it one of the most ambitious horror releases in the region. Its reception was largely positive as audiences enjoyed the committment to folklore and sentimental undertones in storytelling along with horror fans who relished in the slow burn terror paired with disturbing visuals.
🧨 STANDOUT REVIEW
Anak Kunti is not solely ghost story, but instead a spine chilling narrative of trauma passed down through generations, unholy battles with spirits and the stark awakening to the fact that some bloodlines are inscribed with the essence of screams. Indonesia’s modern horror genre shines through with strong performances, cultural elements, deeply human yet horrifying tale.