Directed by Rudy Soedjarwo and written by Lele Laila, this Indonesian drama-horror film stars Happy Salma, Nugie, Flavio Zaviera, Chicco Kurniawan, Azela Putri and others. With a runtime of 88 minutes, the Movie follows a family’s plight at losing their daughter after she goes on an excursion in the mountains and gets lost. However, when she suddenly turns up after a week, things get extremely dangerous for her and her mother as they fight against the superstitious beliefs of their extended family. However, are they truly sure that their daughter came back from the mountains, or is it something more sinister?

I know the point of the movie is that it’s supposed to be supernatural and creepy, but taking the side of uber-superstitious feels wrong in any context. The fact that the movie tries to portray that instead of following scientific facts, one should’ve listened to the superstitious nutjobs is a weird flex. Either way, this is a supernatural movie, so vying away from science and facts is a given. Unfortunately for Primbon, the first 30 minutes of its runtime is a rundown of the superstitious beliefs of the entire village and how people are really into the manuscript that predicts good & bad and a person’s fortunes.

In spite of the darkness that surrounds it, the movie is unable to deliver a thrilling or horrifying experience. Although there are hardly any horrifying moments, there are no moments where you feel even remotely thrilled. The movie’s slow pace and predictable plot progression feel like a drag and make you feel bored. Nothing really happens other than a few random maggots here and there. I think it would’ve been more worthwhile to see the pain, anguish, terror and confusion of being lost in the woods during a storm rather than watching Rana menacingly looking at everyone.

Also, what is Janu’s role here? He was also in the woods and is somehow an overlooked entity who has little to nothing to add. He delivers some exposition dump, but unfortunately not enough. He could’ve been an important part of the story here, but we missed out on that interesting story for some reason. Instead, the movie tries to forcefully scare us with rather bland moments that add nothing and do even less! We also never know why Rana went to the top of a mountain for her mother’s birthday gift. The plot holes in the movie are really overlooked, and it doesn’t deliver any answers to the many questions that it chooses to ignore the existence of.

The heart and soul of Primbon is the family drama, which is rather sweet. Dini’s relationship with her daughters is heartwarming and her beliefs, rooted in reality and science, are quite interesting, and you root for her to win at the end of the mess. There’s also the relationship that she shares with others around her and the social angle of their predicament. The battle that she has to do because she is different from others around her is an interesting aspect. To be honest, the relationship among the family is quite sweet and warm, although my feelings for Banyu are a little more extreme than I’d care to admit!

Happy Salma and Flavio Zaviera, as Dini and Rana are believable and sell their roles well. Happy Salma, as the stressed mother whose love for her daughter knows no bounds, will warm your heart and make you hope that Rana is alive. On the other hand, Flavio Zaviera, as Rana, looks menacing and troubled although she is given very little to work through her demonic problems.

Primbon Review: Conclusion

This is an extremely forgettable movie that is nothing more than a family drama at best. There are hardly any scares, although the family dynamics are well explored, and we learn that sometimes superstitions are best – believing in science ends in your daughter dying! But in all seriousness, there are better horror movies to watch that balances family dynamics with thrills. This one really misses out on the horror.

Primbon is streaming on Netflix.

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