Revenge of the Pontianak (2/5) – Netflix Movie Review

REVENGE OF THE PONTIANAK is a new Netflix horror movie with a romance twist – sort of, anyway. If you like gorgeous backdrops and demons, then this Netflix movie might be for you. However, it is very much a slowburn. Read our full Revenge of the Pontianak review here!

Revenge of the Pontianak is a new Netflix horror movie. The plot does have a romance twist but not in the way you might expect. Also, this Netflix horror-romance is from Malaysia and the language is Malay but please don’t let that keep you from watching it.

Also, the “romance” element is related to the fact that this Netflix movie is essentially a vampire story. Even though the vampires in this movie are different from what you know. Still, vampire stories have always included romance (and sex) as key elements. Well, except for maybe What We Do in the Shadows which is just an awesome exception.

Read much more about the new Netflix horror movie in our full Revenge of the Pontianak review below.

Horror from Malaysia? Oh yes!

For us, the best episode of the Asian HBO horror anthology FOLKLORE was the Malaysian episode. This alone has made us a lot more optimistic when it comes to Malaysian productions. Afterall, we do have a very public love of productions from South Korea, but the other Asian countries are worth checking out as well.

Don’t miss: Our review of Folklore Season 1 on Netflix with ratings for each episode in the anthology >

I wouldn’t say that Revenge of the Pontianak is on level with the episode from Folklore. In fact, it doesn’t even come close. Still, it does offer something very interesting and has moments of pure horror.

My main issue with Revenge of the Pontianak is the fact that it’s a bit tricky to figure out who the villain is. I mean, I know who I think the villain is. But it doesn’t feel like the movie is entirely on the same page. However, it will be by the ending of this Netflix film, so don’t worry.

Watch Revenge of the Pontianak on Netflix now!

The new Netflix horror movie was written and directed by Glen Goei and Gavin Yap. This is only the second feature film for them both as director and writer on a production.

Glen Goei previously wrote and directed Forever Fever back in 1998. It’s described as “Kung Fu meets disco in Singapore” so it’s something very different from this new movie. Gavin Yap made KL24: Zombies in 2017 which is a horror-comedy he made with two other writer-directors.

Revenge of the Pontianak might not be for everyone, but with a runtime of just 92 minutes, it’s definitely worth giving a shot. Just don’t expect it to be a quick watch. It is very much a slowburn and feels longer than its runtime. For all its faults, I can’t argue with the fact that this is a beautiful movie. 

Revenge of the Pontianak is out on Netflix in most of the world from October 24, 2019.

Details

Directors: Glen Goei, Gavin Yap
Writers: Glen Goei, Gavin Yap
Stars: Nur Fazura, Remy Ishak, Hisyam Hamid, Namron, Nadiah m Din, Shenty Felizaina

Plot

1965, Malaysia. A small village helps Khalid and Siti prepare for their wedding day. Soon after, a great darkness falls upon the village as a string of horrific deaths and supernatural happenings create widespread fear and paranoia amongst the villagers. The events force a confession from Khalid to a murder of a girl he made pregnant years before, now believed to have returned as a Pontianak. To kill this vengeful vampire, he rallies all the men of the village and sets out into the jungle to hunt her down. But can the village stop her?