Synopsis
Fajar Nugros directed the 2022 Indonesian psychological horror film The Womb (Rahim). This film intertwines the elements of trauma, grief, womanhood, and spiritual distress, creating a slow-boiling and emotionally intense narrative about pregnancy and the uncanny riddles of the human mind. The Womb does not utilize the typical horror movie jump scares and violence. Instead, it embraces the sobering fear of cultures and provides subtle horror that stems from dread and metaphors.
The film begins with Wulan, a young woman in the first stages of pregnancy, taking a trip with her husband Agung to his village. Agung’s childhood home is a pristine getaway far from the city, allowing Agung and Wulan to escape the city’s hustle and bustle. Wulan and Agung’s relationship, while loving, is a mix of tension. The area is remote and surrounded by an immense forest that is alive, breathes, and shrouded in a blanketing silence. This silence, as the movie progresses, is revealed to be a whisper of secrets.
As soon as she arrives, Wulan begins to experience growing unease. These symptoms manifest as vivid nightmares, hallucinations, and a persistent feeling of being watched. It is as if the house does not want her to be there. Everything from doors creaking open, shadows whispering in hallways, and a heavy sense of dread allude to cold oppression enveloping her. Wulan begins to form new theories and suspicions on the villagers – their prolonged gazes, tightly wound smiles, and a behavior that is supernaturally awed yet remote suggests she is being idolized from a distance.
The feeling of dread and suspicion begins to grow even darker as Wulan hears what she believes could be voices of her own. These voices seem to be coming from inside her body and more specifically, from her womb. Convinced that her pregnancy is in jeopardy, Wulan seeks help from Agung who believes she is simply stressed and overwhelmed. Wulan’s symptoms, on the other hand, do not seem to end with feeling overwhelmed. Agung’s growing concern, paired with Wulan’s worsening symptoms of the shaking, bleeding, and violent bouts of dissociation, paint a complicated picture where Agung is utterly dismissive of all supernatural solutions.
Wulan’s ominous revelations about Agung’s family come from flashbacks and village encounters, which unveil a lineage marked by ancient fertility rituals steeped in dark mysticism. An ancestral curse from ancient times intertwines with the family bloodline. Locals believe that the wombs of the women in the family are bound by a supernatural contract with the womb’s ability to house spirits, deities, or ancestral beings desiring rebirth.
Wulan’s investigation into the roots of the rituals reveals the village’s peculiar practices and ties to mysticism. Her pregnancy is anything but normal. Inside her, dark and ancient forces are growing, feeding on her fear while terrorizing her memories. The boundary between hallucination and reality becomes increasingly indistinct. Mirrors offer fleeting glimpses of a presence that is watching. Her dreams are laced with blood, birth, and burial, growing darker and more sinister.
Wulan faces an impossible decision: whether to protect the life of a child she may not completely possess, or to break the cycle and risk her own life. In the surreal and haunting climax, she merges the two opposing poles of parturition and exorcistic ritual to confront the being inhabiting her womb. The result is ambiguous, and the viewers are left wondering whether the last scenes are real or metaphorical — as the result of her resolve and fortitude, or surrender to a descent into madness.
Cast & Crew
Director:
Fajar Nugros
Fajar Nugros is an Indonesian filmmaker recognized for the incorporation of social critique into genre storytelling. With The Womb, he details the horror of a woman’s spiritual and maternal lineage in a disconcerting and meditative fashion.
Writer:
Fajar Nugros, based on a story by Dinda Furqan
The screenplay weaves an Indonesian tale of folklore and psychological horror, juxtaposing mythology with contemporary ideas of mental health.
Production:
IDN Pictures, a studio aimed at telling Indonesian stories to the world, is the producer of the film.
Main Cast:
Wulan is played by Naysila Mirdad
Mirdad’s performance as the heartbroken lead is unforgettable and a blend of emotional and physical effort as the character transitions from joy to paranoia and ultimately, rebellious defiance.
Agung is portrayed by Samuel Rizal
Rizal’s character oscillates between an understanding husband and a somewhat apathetic partner to Wulan, who is Wulan’s husband. In the course of the plot, the character grows as he becomes more conflicted by the love he has for his wife and the loyalty he feels to his culture.
Djenar Maesa Ayu as Midwife Sari
Sari is an enigmatic character who serves as a mix between a mentor and a barrier, leading characters to the heritage ceremonies and the surrounding rituals. Through her role, with the help of other characters, Sari blends the cultural context of the horror to the supernatural elements.
Hakim Christine as Elder
Hakim is one of the most well-known actresses from Indonesia and her few appearances in the films are performed in an calm yet eerie manner which connects the myth and foundational parts of the story.
Critical Perceptions and IMDb ratings
The Womb currently has an IMDb score of roughly 6.1 with a mix of ratings, as well as a review praising its tension and culture focus, while some critics pointed out the story was shallow and the pace was slow.
Critical Review:
Symbolism and Themes:
The film interlaces profound themes: womanhood, bodily autonomy, inheritance, and a spiritual burden. Focusing on the womb, the film reveals a blend of folkloric femininity trauma. It serves as a harrowing and horrific duality of life and trauma.
Cultural Setting:
The film opens a new avenue of exploring horror rooted within ancestral secrecy and inherited guilt, straying away from the Western norm of ghosts and demons. It draws from Indonesian mysticism and rural tradition, showcasing a different perspective on horror.
Cinematography and Atmosphere:
The overall visual style features muted colors, natural light, and still shots. Gunnar Nimpuno the cinematographer uses tightly framing to evoke claustrophobic interiors and wide exterior shots to suggest isolating distance. The house, forest, and even the womb becomes metaphorical prisons.
Sound Design:
The sparse soundscape of the film Heightens the tension at certain moments. Faint whispers, rhythmic pulse-like beating, and chanting are woven to create an eerie, dream-like texture. The psychological pressure during tense moments intensifies due to the absence of music.
Pacing and Structure:
Gradual dread builds as the slow pacing in this film serves a purpose. Although this method might turn off audience members looking for instant thrills, it offers a deeply disturbing climax for those willing to wait. The nonlinear structure, including dream sequences and flashbacks, contributes to the surreal tone.
Performances:
Naysila Mirdad anchors the film with her performance. It is both believable and heartbreaking to witness her portrayal of Wulan’s psychological unraveling. The supporting cast, particularly Djenar Maesa Ayu and Christine Hakim, does an admirable job of adding complexity to the story without needless exposition of the mythos.
Conclusion
The Womb is a uniquely rich and emotionally deep psychological horror film. It is a woman’s story, bound by the traditions she is expected to uphold, biology, and beliefs. It is far from a simple horror story. Rather, it is a tale about identity, legacy, and the fears that dwell in the body and bloodline.
What keeps the film memorable is the lack of definite answers provided to the audience. It poses the complex question of whether the horror that Wulan goes through is real, imagined, or inherited through metaphor. The Womb is successful in achieving its purpose, which is to reveal concealed realities, analyze the trauma that is passed down through generations, and confront the fear of the unknown, which is what is within us, especially if it is something that is not entirely ours.
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