Indonesia has given us some of the most terrifying horror titles in recent years, from Impetigore to Satan's Slaves, The Queen of Black Magic, and May the Devil Take You. The latest title to join their chilling ranks is Hadrah Daeng Ratu's The Book of Sijjin and Illiyyin, which centres around the Islamic folk tale of the Book of Sijjin, a record of all the sins committed by an individual. It is countered by the Book of Illiyyin, which notes all of a person's acts of nobility.
The film begins with a young Yuli (Yunita Siregar) witnessing the violent death of her father and mother when seemingly possessed, leading the youngster to live with the woman who claims to be her father's wife, Ambar. It then jumps 20 years into the future when, after years of being treated as an outsider by her vengeful half-sister, Yaras (Dinda Kanyadewi), she turns to black magic in a bid to set herself free. After exhuming Ambar's corpse and beginning a disturbing ritual, Yuli has until the corpse rots to complete all the steps to guarantee Yaras' gruesome death as well as that of her husband, Rudi (Tarra Budiman), and their children, Tika (Kawai Labiba) and Dean (Sultan Hamonangan).
Ratu and screenwriter Lele Laila have created a shocking, gory, and outrageous nightmare that blends conventional possession elements with the heartbreaking and thoroughly uncomfortable subject of familial abuse and ostracisation. Sure, watching someone impale themselves on the shard of a mirror or stumble to their death in a bathroom, Final Destination style, is enough to thrill and chill the most ardent of horror fans, but what will bore into your mind is the harrowing treatment of Yuli for nothing more than being born. Yaras mercilessly taunts and disrespects the young girl as she cares for the family, while they turn their backs and allow her to be abused. It is no wonder her festering anger leads her to such extreme lengths, with The Book of Sijjin and Illiyin exploring how this unchecked rage can warp us beyond recognition. It's a refreshing take on possession, mirroring its supernatural elements with Yuli's character progression as her bloodlust changes her into a woman who will stop at nothing to achieve her end goal.
Each death is treated with the weight you may not expect when it comes to a horror film drenched in buckets of blood, with the trauma of the central family palpable in every scene of their disbelief and pain. But it does not detract from the mayhem of each inventive kill that will have audience members on the edge of their seats, wondering who will be visited by the Grim Reaper next, and no one is safe. The old and the young alike are treated with the same brutality that never relents throughout the film's runtime.
While it sometimes relies on one too many jump scares that don't quite land, The Book of Sijjin and Illiyyin is a blood-soaked, eerie revenge thriller that offers a unique take on a staple horror subgenre that delves into the evils of the family home in excruciating detail. Is there anything more terrifying than that?
The Book of Sijjin and Illiyyin had its North American premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival on 31 July
