If you’re a hardcore horror fan but you haven’t delved into Indonesian horror, you need to remedy that. Right now. Indonesia may not have the same reputation as its neighbors Japan and Korea, but the country has given us some of the best under-the-radar genre flicks of the past few years, like Satan’s Slaves, Impetigore, and May the Devil Take You. I always get excited when I hear that a new Indonesian horror film has made it to the States, so naturally, when I first got wind of Dancing Village: The Curse Begins, I was instantly intrigued. I couldn’t wait to see what chills and thrills this movie had in store, and after finally getting the chance to watch it, I’m happy to report that it does not disappoint.

Dancing Village: The Curse Begins was directed by Kimo Stamboel, and it stars Aulia Sarah, Maudy Effrosina, Jourdy Pranata, Moh. Iqbal Sulaiman, Ardit Erwandha, and Claresta Taufan. The film is a prequel to the 2022 chiller KKN di Desa Penari (in English, KKN Curse of the Dancing Village), and it follows a group of four young adults–Mila, Yuda, Jito, and Arya–who travel to a remote village on the island of Java to return a mystical bracelet.

When they arrive, they learn that the leader of the village isn’t there, so they decide to stay and wait for him to return. And as you can probably guess, that turns out to be the worst decision of their lives. Soon afterward, Mila begins to experience some strange, potentially supernatural phenomena, and she learns that the village is tormented by an evil spirit named Badarawuhi.

From the very first scene, Dancing Village: The Curse Begins had me completely hooked. For starters, this movie looks gorgeous. I don’t know where it was filmed, but much like Sasquatch Sunset, it seems like the crew went into the middle of the forest to shoot this movie. Whatever they did, it makes for some genuinely beautiful visuals, and when the lights go out, that beauty turns into the kind of cursed landscape that you know is home to a deadly secret.

Along similar lines, the acting in this film is excellent as well, so I totally bought into every single one of these characters. To be fair, it’s always tough to judge actors when you don’t know the language, as you can’t entirely gauge if their line delivery is natural or stilted. But as far as I could tell, they felt like real people going through real experiences, so I grew to care about them and their story very quickly.

In particular, I have to give special mention to Aulia Sarah, the actress who plays the evil entity Badarawuhi. Everything this woman does and says is infused with a smooth, hypnotizing sensuality, but she never crosses the line into gratuitous sexuality. You almost get the impression that she’s mimicking her favorite ASMRtists, and while that may sound corny on paper, it actually works perfectly here. It gives the character an air of unflappable confidence and unfathomable power, so you know she’s not to be trifled with.

On top of those amazing performances, Dancing Village: The Curse Begins also features some of the best horror I’ve seen all year. Unlike typical American genre movies, this one mostly eschews jump scares and instead focuses on less in-your-face tactics. Its tools of choice are eerie imagery, a pervasive atmosphere of dread and uncertainty, and a feeling of creeping terror that will get under your skin in a way less subtle frights can only dream of.

That’s my favorite kind of horror, so while your mileage may vary, I found this film to be super effective. Granted, I was never actually scared by it, but the perfectly executed horror kept my interest and had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. It’s an utter treat for fans of these kinds of frights, so if you fit that description, I think the horror alone will make you love Dancing Village: The Curse Begins.

Next, let’s talk a bit about the story. For most of its runtime, this movie holds its cards pretty close to the chest. The creepy atmosphere and the supernatural goings-on let us know that something isn’t quite right with this village, but at first, we don’t know what it is. Then, as the story unfolds, we slowly learn more and more about what’s really happening, and for my money, director Kimo Stamboel pulls the curtain back at the perfect pace.

It’s slow enough that we’re constantly left wanting more, but it’s also fast enough that the film never feels like it’s dragging its feet. However, once Dancing Village: The Curse Begins reveals its last secret, the movie loses a tiny bit of steam. Granted, it’s still really good right up until the credits begin to roll, but without that mystery to power it, the payoff is just not quite as interesting as the setup.

Last but not least, I’d be remiss if I didn’t answer a question at least some of you have probably been asking since the second paragraph of this review. Can you still watch Dancing Village: The Curse Begins if you haven’t seen the first film, KKN di Desa Penari? Thankfully, the answer is a resounding yes.

Before I got the email offering me a screener for this movie, I had never even heard of KKN di Desa Penari, and I didn’t get a chance to watch it before checking out the prequel. But even without any prior knowledge of this franchise, I never felt lost. Director Kimo Stamboel does an excellent job of making both the story and the mythology behind it clear and comprehensible for newbies like me, so if you’ve never seen KKN di Desa Penari, don’t let that stop you from watching Dancing Village: The Curse Begins.

That being said, now that I’ve seen the prequel, I definitely plan on going back and watching the first film. The excellent performances, creepy horror, and fascinating mystery in Dancing Village: The Curse Begins have me hooked on this franchise, so I’m already champing at the bit to see where the story goes from here.