Trinil Review: Hilariously Silly Movie Feels Like a Fever Dream

– No Spoilers –

When couple Rara and Sutan return to her inherited tea plantation after their honeymoon, things start to get scary as strange things start to happen that spook the inhabitants. With workers dying around them as well, Sutan decides to take the help of Yusuf, an exorcist, to help his wife who seems to be getting possessed as well. Although Rara is initially sceptical of her husband’s claims, she decides to give his claims a chance when she starts to feel the after-effects of her possessions.

This horror movie has all the cliches of the chills and thrills that we are used to, along with a sprinkling of sudden humour that maybe the creators were probably not gunning for. However, we get to the point right from the beginning and although the first scene was quite creepy, it goes downhill from there pretty quickly.

Filled with silly scenes like doors opening on their own and lights going out right on cue, the movie is a campy watch for those who want to have a fun time with a horror movie without losing the opportunity to go to the bathroom at night! All the tropes are there for one to enjoy this movie in a light-hearted way but that’s about where my compliments end for it.

If you, like me, want some frights, there’s nothing in this movie that brings out those feelings. Its fast pace is confusing and makes the plot feel like it’s all over the place. We jump from one thing to the next in a matter of minutes but that doesn’t mean that we don’t understand what’s happening – on the flip side, the movie breaks down every little thing for us so that nothing is left to the imagination. It’s like being spoon-fed with tons of exposition.

Also Read: Frankly Speaking Episode 3 Recap and Review: Song Ki-baek’s World of White Lies

On that note, the characters are some of the most unimpressive that I have seen. The head of the tea estate Rara is an exceptional piece of work who is rude to people for no reason. Her snarky attitude and confusing decisions feel odd and unwarranted and make you question her smartness on a number of occasions. It’s one thing to not believe in ghosts, it’s another to see the head of a woman on your dining table and find that to be an annoying inconvenience – her actions don’t match the events unfolding in front of her which is just mind-blowing to witness.

On the other hand, her husband Sutan is sort of a pushover and a meek individual who is best left forgotten, although I love how easily he is spooked; it makes for some great laughs. Lastly, we have exorcist Yusuf, who just comes up in one fine scene without rhyme or reason and simply exists. He doesn’t have the oomph or charisma to make us believe in him and his abilities nor get us attracted to him in any way. Even the performances are not satisfying enough for us to feel anything for the characters in any way.

The bright and colourful sets add life to the horror movie, which is something that we don’t often see. However, the sets look like sets and are not realistic so they do take you out of the experience a bit. In the end, we have to watch this movie for what it is, I guess – a goofy film with not much to give. Other than Rangga Nattra’s Sutan, who is probably my favourite character in this forgettable movie, there’s nothing much that is new or even worth remembering.

Trinil Review: Final Thoughts

This horror movie is as good as forgettable because its cliched plot and campy CGi is nothing short of hilarious. There are moments in this movie that truly make you feel like you are in a fever dream and the repetition of the same-old concepts gets very old very fast. In the end, it’s a movie that you watch to have fun with friends. But any and all expectations that you might have will be ruthlessly dashed a few minutes into the runtime.

Also Read: Slyth The Hunt Saga Review: Forced Sci-Fi Movie is a Mess