“Jurnal Risa by Risa Saraswati” (2024) is an Indonesian horror film directed by Rizal Mantovani, based on a story by Risa Saraswati. The film delves into the deep-rooted fears and beliefs in supernatural beings prevalent in Indonesian culture, particularly in rural villages where tales of spirits and curses hold strong influence.
The film opens with a professor discussing existentialism, a philosophy that places humans at the center of existence. Spirits and unseen forces may only come alive if you believe in them.
Rita is a writer, a band member, a content creator, and the voice behind a popular supernatural-themed YouTube channel called Jurnal Risa. However, what really sets her apart is her “gift” for connecting with spirits. Of course, the supernatural world always has its doubters, and Rita’s work gets mixed reactions. Some say she’s just making it all up. However, Rita doesn’t mind and believes that spirits, good or bad, deserve a voice, too. Still, there’s one encounter she doesn’t like to discuss. During a live podcast on her YouTube channel, Rita accidentally summoned a presence that shook her to the core. She won’t even name it, saying it’s best left unspoken.
Risa and her crew head to a deserted, creepy place for her latest YouTube video titled “Brave Test. She’s brought her team, plus two spiritual masters to “cleanse” the area before filming starts. Among the group is Prinsa, an eager young woman who’s thrilled to be there. She thinks this video will be her big break. When night falls, Prinsa with a handheld camcorder, decides to sneak off on her own to check out the place. Ignoring all warnings, she calls out the name of the forbidden spirit. In an instant, the entity makes its presence known, and Prinsa is briefly taken over by something sinister. However, just as quickly as it comes, the spirit seems to release her, and Prinsa snaps back to normal. With everyone a little shaken, they pack up and leave the haunted grounds. Though Prinsa seems perfectly normal, Risa and her crew keep a close eye on her.
Risa suspects that the spirit now lurking within Prinsa is Uwa Satirah-a woman from a legend who became obsessed with spirits and the occult. Some say Uwa herself was possessed before she died. Her spirit was so dangerous the villagers had to perform a powerful ritual to trap it, renaming it “Samsex” and banishing it from the mortal world. There’s also an eerie warning about Samsex. Risa has every reason to be terrified of saying the spirit’s name. It seems to bring misfortune to anyone who dares. She finds this out the hard way. Moments after accidentally uttering the spirit’s name, her car gets rear-ended out of nowhere. And the next time she slips up and mentions it, her son lands in the hospital with a high fever.
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Back in the present, two of Risa’s team members decide to spend the night at Prinsa’s place for the night, hoping to figure out if she’s actually possessed. Prinsa, meanwhile, feels totally normal. If anything, she’s loving the attention her viral video has brought but others on the team suspect something sinister has latched onto her. When they gently suggest another cleansing ritual, Prinsa lashes out in a way that doesn’t quite seem like her. Things get only creepier from there. Prinsa starts acting strange, like grinning wickedly while playing with knives in the dead of night.
Risa and her team try every cleansing ritual they can think of to free Prinsa from the spirit’s grip. But nothing seems to work. Desperate and out of options, Risa’s father attempts to perform the ritual himself. Unfortunately, even he comes up short. When the team arrives in the village, they quickly realize things are far from normal. For the past few days, eerie events have been unfolding, and lives have already been lost. The villagers, seized by fear, sense that something dark and sinister is about to happen. Adding to the tension, it’s revealed that the village has been struggling with drought and poor harvests for years, which many believe is a curse cast by Uwa’s spirit. Things get out of hand when Uwa takes over Prinsa again, this time to feed on a newborn.
The village elder performs a powerful ritual to drive Uwa’s spirit out of Prinsa and send it back to the underworld but things take a dark turn. The ritual forces Uwa out of Prinsa, only for the spirit to jump into another girl nearby. Once the link is broken, the elder orders the crew to leave the village immediately, and they don’t waste a second packing up.
Although Prinsa is free, Uwa’s spirit still lingers, just waiting for the next host.
However, despite the promising premise, many viewers found the execution lacking. Here’s a breakdown of the film’s strengths and weaknesses:
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Critical Reception
Several reviews highlight the film's shortcomings in delivering a truly terrifying experience. Some viewers found the storyline watchable but ultimately slow-paced and lacking in significant scary content, leading to a somewhat bland viewing experience.
The plot progresses slowly and aimlessly, with many scenes feeling forced and serving merely as fillers. Instead of creating a chilling atmosphere, the horror elements come across as cliché and ineffective, making the viewing experience dull and forgettable.
One reviewer noted that writer Lele Laila didn't incorporate enough layers of horror or amp up the dread, which were much needed. There was a desire for more scary content and a faster-paced narrative. The fact that it fell into the 'found footage' genre wasn't exactly flattering for the movie in my opinion.
The characters also fail to leave a lasting impact. The performances feel flat, with dialogues that are shallow and often awkward. The relationships between characters are underdeveloped, making it hard for the audience to connect with the story. Even Risa, the central figure who should be the film's main draw, does not evoke sympathy or interest due to her poorly developed character arc.
From a technical perspective, the cinematography and special effects are underwhelming. The sound design, which should have been a key element in building suspense, ends up being excessive and distracting.
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Overall Score: 2.5/10
A promotional poster for Jurnal Risa.
Strengths
- Interesting Premise: The adaptation of Risa Saraswati's supernatural experiences provides a foundation for a potentially compelling horror story.
- Cultural Integration: The film taps into the rich vein of Indonesian folklore and beliefs, offering a glimpse into the community's deep-rooted fears.
- Acting Performances: Despite criticisms of the characters, the acting performances were generally considered good.
Weaknesses
- Pacing: The slow pace and lack of consistent tension detract from the overall horror experience.
- Horror Elements: Clichéd and ineffective horror elements fail to create a genuinely chilling atmosphere.
- Character Development: Underdeveloped characters and shallow dialogues make it difficult for the audience to connect with the story.
- Technical Aspects: Underwhelming cinematography, special effects, and distracting sound design further diminish the film's impact.
- Found Footage: The use of the 'found footage' genre was seen as a drawback by some viewers.
While the movie fitted into the laughable 'found footage' genre of movies, it was actually one of the more enjoyable and well-made of the kind.
Ultimately, "Jurnal Risa by Risa Saraswati" presents an unsatisfying viewing experience. With a weak plot, unconvincing characters, and subpar technical execution, this film is hard to recommend.