Directed by Emir Ezwan and produced by Amir Muhammad’s Kuman Pictures, “Roh” was also Malaysia’s official submission for the 93rd Academy Awards held this year.
Released in 2019 and filmed in just over two weeks in a forest in Dengkil, Selangor, the movie is on par with other big-budget horror films despite costing about RM360,000 to make.
The movie centres around a feisty mother (Farah Ahmad) and her two children, Along (Mhia Farhana) and Angah (Harith Haziq), who live in a secluded part of the jungle and are susceptible not only to threats of wildlife but that of the “unseen”.
“Roh” begins with a gruesome scene that features a classic horror trope: a girl with long dishevelled hair (Putri Qaseh), repeatedly stabbing a corpse.
After an unexpected visit from this girl who charmingly curses the family to death, things take a terrifying turn as the family encounters a one-eyed spear-wielding hunter, played by award-winning actor Namron, and a mysterious old lady named Tok, played by Namron’s real-life wife June Lojong.
Early on in the movie, the mother regales the children with folklore about a ghost hunter, which foreshadows the events to come.
“Roh” is a slow-burn film that is light on dialogue and doesn’t resort to in-your-face jump scares. Instead, it exploits viewers’ collective superstitious fears through the use of folklore and foreboding imagery of the forest.
One can sense something perpetually lurking at the corner, whether at night or in broad daylight.
The music score by Los Angeles-based Reinchez Ng, punctuated by the ominous “tuk tuk” sounds of the nightjar (a nocturnal bird), creates an eerie vibe that will leave viewers on the edge of their seats throughout the 83-minute-long movie.
“Roh” also took home prizes for best screenplay, best musical score, best costume design, best supporting actress (Lojong), and best child actor (Putri) at the recent FFM.
In August last year it had a brief run in Malaysian, Singaporean and Bruneian cinemas during a lull in Covid-19 cases, earning over RM200,000 in box-office takings within its first week.
The film was also screened in Cambodian theatres and has been released on Netflix, Disney+ and Mubi.
The only drawback is that the ending of “Roh” is ambiguous and a tad rushed, leaving viewers with more questions than answers.
Some might be left wanting as loose ends are left untied, but perhaps it is the director’s intention that viewers work out the answers for themselves instead of being spoon-fed.
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