Saka Nan Sepi is Malaysian horror comedy done right... sort of

A few hits and misses, but relatively alright (image courtesy of myinfotaip.com)

Astro First has delivered a lot of good local movies. Compared to Astro Citra, Astro First is a somewhat go-to channel for new, properly produced movies that are entertaining and have had a lot of thought put into it before release.

Saka Nan Sepi is produced by Astro Shaw and directed by directing-duo Azri Azman and Razaisyam Rashid - which goes to show that two heads are better than one. At least there's accountability somewhere along the production process and we aren't fed with nauseating drivel like Miimaland. 

The movie also stars established names like Namron, Syafiq Kyle, Sherry Alhadad and Mimi Lana which personally for us, made the movie far more entertaining than it should've been. 

They complimented the movie better than the script ever could (image courtesy of myinfotaip.com)

Saka Nan Sepi follows the story of a family of four, Othman (Namron), his new wife, Zaiton (Sherry Alhadad) and Othman's two children, Sufian and Rozi (Shafiq Kyle & Mimi Lana respectively).

While out camping one night, Rozi is possessed by a wandering spirit. They rush her to see Tok Kassim, a local shaman, who then captures the spirit and instructs it to keep disturbing the family in the hopes that they'll keep coming to him for help, all the while paying him a small fee. 

As the movie progresses and more comedic antics between Othman's family and the spirit ensue, they come to realise that the spirit, which they've named Boygirl (they couldn't peg the gender), isn't hostile or violent and they end up adopting it.

Tok Kassim finds out and exacts his revenge. 

As androgynous as the supernatural come (image courtesy of buzzkini.com)


To be honest, that's pretty much the entire plot of the movie. It's not that long and fairly uninteresting, but the comedic timing of the actors and actresses, especially Namron and Shafiq Kyle, make the movie worthwhile. 

Obviously there are more negatives than positives in this movie, but if you lower your standards and expectations enough, it's quite an enjoyable watch. 

We think we've been served too many terrible local flicks that our expectations AND standards have dropped so much that we're scraping the bottom of the barrel for a good viewing experience. "Oh, this one scene is slightly funny. This is an amazing movie." Yes, it's as depressing as it sounds.

All in all, Saka Nan Sepi is a pretty OK movie. Is it worth a watch? To support the local industry, then sure. But should you watch it? Well anything with Namron in it is pretty much worth it, so yes, you should sit down and give it a try. 

Asian Does Horror gives Saka Nan Sepi ðŸ‘»ðŸ‘» ghost emojis out of five. 
  


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Medium is an atmospheric mockumentary love child from two brilliant minds

Image
  The love child of Banjong Pinsanthanakun and Na Hong-Jin, raised with so much love and attention. (Image courtesy of kompas.com) Horror movie royalty. From L-R: Na Hong-Jin and Banjong Pinsanthanakun. (Image courtesy of zapzee) When news first surfaced that Na Hong-Jin and Banjong Pinsanthanakun were collaborating for a new horror movie, we were stoked! Even if you're not a horror movie buff, you must have heard the movie "Shutter" circling throughout conversations and recommendations of the scariest Thai horror movies out there.  I know many friends that still tread carefully around the movie deeming it one of (if not)  the  scariest horror movie they've ever watched. And for good reason. Shutter propelled the already established Thai horror movie genre into international acclaim, even earning a Hollywood adaptation. A straightforward plot of revenge from the afterlife, Shutter was beautifully edited to include multiple twists and turns that kept viewers on their t
Read more

Penunggang Agama should've, could've, would've been better through nepotism

Image
  Do all hospital workers have to wear a songkok? (Image courtesy of iluminasi.com) The Yusof Haslam family has long been making waves in the local Malaysian cinematic environment. The patriarch, Datuk Dr. Yusof Haslam, successfully cemented himself in the annals of local 90's movies and television with hits like Sembilu, Maria Mariana and Gerak Khas, before taking a step back and collecting producer fees on trash projects like Bohsia: Jangan Pilih Jalan Hitam and KL Wangan. Which to his credit, is a genius move, btw - unofficially retire from directing with your list of box office hits and let others destroy the quality of local cinema.  Following in his footsteps is prodigal son (literally), Shamsul Yusof, who has proven that nepotism can get you far in this country. But also to his credit, Munafik and Munafik 2 were pretty phenomenal.  Now enter Syafiq Yusof, the third installation in the Yusof Haslam movie franchise. A new name to carry on the family brand of "if I make 10
Read more

ROH (2020)

Image
Cinematographically pleasing, but still lacking in various aspects. (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia) Before I begin this review, those who are interested to watch this movie must, MUST remember that it's an indie arthouse horror flick. It's produced by Kuman Pictures, a low-budget film company that is relatively new in the industry, but supported by veterans in both the filmmaking industry and the writing industry.  ROH is directed by Emir Ezwan and is set in the past. It tells the story of a small family (a mother and her two children) living in the forest who were one day visited by a mysterious child. This child laid the foundation for all the events that transpires throughout the movie.  It doesn't take long for the story connected to the child to unfold, but this movie is a slow burn and those expecting fast paced dialog and scenes will be severely disappointed.  From the beginning of the movie to the end, the cinematography was spectacular. The play on lighting and symme
Read more