Yes, it really is. Ada Hantu is very, very good. Hairul Azreen’s directorial debut is everything we’ve ever wanted from a Malaysian production – it’s smart, it’s well written, and most importantly, it works within its limitations to deliver a movie with a cleverly constructed plot, surprising twists, and a whole lot of fun. After one mediocre effort (J2: J Retribusi), and one outright garbage fire (Zombitopia), Disney Plus Hotstar has finally delivered an original that’s worth your time.
Aliff (Zahiril Adzim) is an up-and-coming YouTuber who criticizes an alleged ghost sighting in one of his reaction videos and ends up getting trolled by netizens for being yet another armchair critic. Wanting to prove the Internet wrong (which is as good a reason as any to do anything!), he sets out with four of his friends – Bariah (Shiqin Kamal), Sasha (Elvina Chua), Jimmy (Nafiez Zaidi), and Talha (Hairul Azreen) – to spend a night at a haunted mansion and prove once and for all that ghosts aren’t real.
Ada Hantu is, fundamentally, a haunted house movie. But one with just enough twists to make it stand out.
The five leads, however, are what make this movie so watchable. They have great chemistry together and play characters that you want to spend time with. Which, as well all know, is saying a lot.
The Less Is More Approach
The reason why Ada Hantu works so well is because its reach doesn’t exceed its grasp. The problem with so many local movies is that what the filmmakers set out to achieve doesn’t always match up to their ability to actually pull it off. Sometimes it’s the writing. Sometimes it’s the direction. Other times it’s the acting. A lot of the time it’s everything. The consequence of which is often a muddled mess of a movie.
Ada Hantu avoids every one of these pitfalls. The writing is tight. The visual effects are modest but effective, all of which are utilized to serve the narrative. And the movie doesn’t rely on unnecessary jump scares or fall back on the usual slapstick to tell its story. Hairul, along with writers Adrian Teh and Amar Amir, use characters and the situations that they’re in to deliver a wonderful balance of both horror and comedy.
Hairul also displays a maturity in his direction that belies the fact that this is his first movie. Early in the movie, he employs an incredibly simple but successful framing device that goes a long way to structuring the entire movie. He gives us a tour of the house. By showing us the lay of the land he ensures that everything then puts his protagonists through is earned. The best haunted house movies always show us exactly where everything is going to happen, creating tension by first setting the scene, and then scaring us by slowly disturbing those familiar locations.
But by saying that this movie’s reach doesn’t exceed its grasp, I don’t mean there aren’t any big ideas here. There’s a tone shift at the end of the second act that’s pulled off incredibly well. (It’s something Adrian Teh tried to do with Pasal Kau and failed, but makes up for those missteps in great form in Ada Hantu.) There’s also an attempt (one that I wish they leaned into a little more) at some Scream-esque deconstruction in which our leads talk openly about haunted house cliches, telling each other ghost stories, and explaining popular myths.
Try It, You’ll Like it!
If I had one nitpick, it would be that none of the scares in the movie are particularly fresh or novel. There aren’t evil fridges or pianos that bite. Beds don’t try to eat anyone in this movie. The frights here are tried and tested. And they work. So while I’m a little disappointed that Ada Hantu doesn’t break any new ground on that front, I do applaud the movie for leaning into the fundamentals and pulling them off well.
We Malaysian moviegoers are used to heartbreak. The bar is so low (see: Pasal Kau, Badang, or the vast majority of local movies) that we no longer go into these things hoping for the best. Mostly, we’re expecting the worst, while praying that the two hours we’re about to commit won’t be a complete and utter waste of our lives. Every now and again, there comes a Jagat, or a Roh, or a Lelaki Harapan Dunia, that remind us of the kinds of movies that we are capable of making and the stories we should be telling. (God knows we’re lucky if we get one of those a year!) Movies like those, and like this one, are rarities that we should be celebrating. So go watch Ada Hantu. Tell your friends about it. And be proud that you’re supporting something Malaysian, not just for the sake of it, but because it’s actually good.
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