Write an article about ‘Telaga Suriram’: well-come to a kampung with a killer .Organize the content with appropriate headings and subheadings (h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6), Retain any existing tags from In ‘Telaga Suriram’, young Suriram (Puteri Rafasya) flees trouble with her friend Maimon (Nabilah Huda) but are they heading towards more danger? (Odissi Creative Sdn Bhd pic)
PETALING JAYA: If you are a little girl in a horror movie, stay away from wells at all costs. If not…it will not end “well” for you.
Viewers learnt this timely lesson from the spooky Japanese classic film “The Ring” and now, from recent local horror blockbuster “Telaga Suriram”.
This latest outing from director Osman Ali (Ombak Rindu, Pilot Café, Juang) takes viewers on an entertaining romp through a picturesque North Malaysia kampung, where sinister supernatural forces exist alongside kindly village folk.
While its storyline sometimes wavers, the film, produced by Odissi Creative Sdn Bhd, has a certain charm that makes up for its shortcomings.
Set in a rustic Perlis village in the mid-1980s, “Telaga Suriram” centres on Rohaya (Maya Karin), a kind-hearted woman devoted to her husband Sopiyan (Fauzi Baadilla) and adorable young daughter Suriram (Puteri Rafasya).
A villager notices Rohaya (Maya Karin) behaving oddly in the middle of the night. (Odissi Creative Sdn Bhd)
Tragedy strikes, however, when Suriram goes missing the night of a funfair. Suspicion immediately falls on Maimon (Nabilah Huda), a mute woman who had been seen escorting the young girl home before her disappearance.
Police officer Inspector Karmila (Scha AlYahya) is summoned to investigate as strange, sinister things start to occur all around the village.
At the heart of this turmoil is an old village well, supposedly linked to dark magic and malevolent monsters. It soon turns out, however, that there might just be a human perpetrator behind this seemingly supernatural enigma.
“Telaga Suriram” is both a murder mystery as well as a horror film: half the fun of watching is trying to discover who this village’s villain truly is. The film’s cinematography is well done, with many beautiful shots of rustic Kedah, Perlis and Perak.
What about the story?
Unlike most wells, the plot is not very deep. Some story elements are hard to figure out: you’d think Suriram’s ghost would be more helpful in trying to identify who attacked her, instead of seemingly haunting random characters?
Scha AlYahya plays the intrepid Inspector Karmila who is bent on finding a young girl who has disappeared in the middle of the night. (Odissi Creative Sdn Bhd)
The plot also suddenly takes a sharp turn into slasher film territory in its last third portion before concluding as full-blown melodrama, complete with maniacal villain cackling in glee. This is a bit of a pity, as the film was quite solid before that.
Scare-wise, it’s a fun ride, although it’s basically jump scare after jump scare. Nothing you haven’t seen in other horror films before.
Still, you can’t go wrong with the classic creepy-ghost-girl-in-white look, and the undead Suriram is sufficiently sinister-looking.
Some of the other horrors are not as well done: one monster resembles a goth version of Chewbacca from Star Wars, and is more comical than scary.
The film is at its best when it plays on real-life fears. Having a child go missing is a terrifying experience, and watching the characters, particularly Rohaya and Sopiyan, struggle with grief and guilt, is absorbing.
Scenes where paranoid villagers turn on Maimon, a convenient scapegoat, are a chilling reflection of the darkness of human nature.
‘Telaga Suriram’ is a half-horror, half-mystery film by director Osman Ali. (Odissi Creative Sdn Bhd pic)
The film’s actors do fine jobs. Maya is convincing as beleaguered mother Rohaya, while Scha does her best as the inspector. One can’t help but feel that her character would have been better portrayed by an older actress with more gravitas.
The most compelling performance here comes from Nabilah, who capably portrays the misunderstood Maimon.
Despite having little dialogue to work with, the actress successfully portrays both the vulnerability and sensitivity of her very complex character.
Nabilah’s scenes with Ellie Suriaty (who also does an excellent job as her mother Tijah, a bomoh), are one of the film’s highlights.
The other supporting characters are a colourful bunch. All the beloved kampung stock characters turn up here – the gossip, the mean hooligans, the stern village elder – to their credit, most of them play their roles well, and uncovering the dynamics of the village, as well as everyone’s dark secrets, is engaging.
Overall, “Telaga Suriram” delivers a sufficiently spooky experience. If you’re in the mood for a chilling ride with few surprises, then this “well-from-hell” flick is certainly well-worth your time.
‘Telaga Suriram’ is showing in local cinemas from May 1.
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