Title: Dancing Village: The Curse Begins Director: Kimo Stamboel Cast: Aulia Sarah, Maudy Effrosina, Jourdy Pranata, M. Iqbal Sulaiman, Ardit Erwandha, Diding Boneng, Aming Sugandhi, Dinda Kanyadewi, Pipien Putri, Maryam Supraba Where: In theatres near you Rating: 3.5 Stars This film, a prequel to the hit KKN di Desa Penari, is a visually arresting dive into Indonesian folklore.
While the narrative takes its time to build momentum, it offers a richly atmospheric journey through a cursed village haunted by ancient rituals. For those willing to embrace the slow-burn horror, this film delivers a unique blend of culture, myth, and creeping dread. The story follows Mila (Maudy Effrosina), a young woman tasked with returning a bangle to her mother’s ancestral village.
As she ventures deeper into the jungle with her cousin Yuda (Jourdy Pranata) and friends, she encounters the ominous goddess Badarawuhi (Aulia Sarah), who presides over a deadly “dance of death.” The village, steeped in mysticism and tradition, is the perfect setting for a tale where the boundaries between the real and supernatural blur. Visually, the film is a triumph.
Cinematographer Patrick Tashadian captures the jungle’s menacing beauty with a masterful use of light and shadow. The village’s isolation is palpable, with wide, sweeping shots giving way to more claustrophobic frames as the characters fall deeper into Badarawuhi’s grasp. The night-time sequences, in particular, are breathtaking—filled wi.