Soul Reaper

NOW ON VOD! Soul Reaper takes its time digging a grave and then quietly invites you to lie in it.

Director Sidharta Tata delivers a moody, folklore-driven horror film from Indonesia that deals less in jump scares and more in spiritual consequences. A group of friends return to a remote village after a death, only to find themselves caught in a ritual older than they are and far less forgiving.

Devano Danendra plays Respati, a soft-spoken lead who seems emotionally checked out, which works in a story where no one is really in control. Keisya Levronka offers a grounded, understated performance that gives the film its emotional center, especially as the group begins to unravel under the weight of what they have stepped into.

Tata does not chase spectacle. He builds tension through pacing, ritual, and atmosphere. There is a deep patience to the way this film unfolds. The forest does not need to scream to feel dangerous. Abandoned temples, quiet homes, and flickering torchlight create a world that feels ancient and watchful. When something finally does snap, the film has earned it. One standout moment features a blindfolded ceremony that turns into something much more unsettling than expected. It is not violent, but it is deeply unnerving.

Supernatural Apparition from Soul Reaper (2025)

“The forest does not need to scream to feel dangerous.”

The mythology at work is never fully explained, and that is exactly the point. The film trusts you to keep up or be left behind. This sense of disorientation actually enhances the feeling that the characters are stepping into a belief system they barely understand. There is no exposition dump, no rulebook. Just action, consequence, and silence.

Some pacing lulls do show up in the second act. The film lingers in scenes that may try the patience of viewers waiting for something louder to happen. But once it begins to spiral into its final third, that slow burn pays off. There is no monster reveal or supernatural standoff. What emerges is something quieter and more final. The reaper here is not a villain. It is balanced. It is what happens when something that was wrong demands to be made right.

The cinematography leans into natural textures and long, deliberate shots. There is a sense that the camera is not capturing the characters but observing them. This works beautifully with the sound design, which keeps things sparse until it needs to strike. When the rituals begin, the sound becomes oppressive in the best way.

Soul Reaper is about inheritance. Not the kind you can hold or spend, but the kind that clings to your name. It explores what happens when guilt festers long enough to become a presence of its own. Some spirits linger. This one has been waiting.