Interprete Me

May the Devil Take You, a movie that is now debuting in the Netflix catalog, brings in the best traditions of horror movies. This is because it crosses all the area’s subgenres: it begins as a psychological thriller, transits through gore and finally reaches the occult mysteries. Few features can boast of going through all these steps in a single production. Of course, because of having so many blends, one or the other does not come out with the planned strength. Still, the movie is very interesting and deserves to be watched.

The plot of May the Devil Take You begins with a convalescent father in the hospital, and with the daughters who need to go to a country house to take an inventory of the patriarch’s patrimony. Only this point of departure is enough to spark the viewer’s curiosity, because the feature doesn’t waste time with long introductions and already throws us, without further ado, into a macabre story.

Blood bond

Alfie, the head of the family’s estranged daughter shown in May the Devil Take You, oversees going to the country house that they own to verify what are the place’s valuables. This is necessary because, with the illness and death of the father, it is necessary to know exactly what are the riches that are in his name for an eventual will and sharing. As in every good horror movie, things start to get sinister as soon as she steps into this house. It is evident that there are several secrets that will be revealed to her – and consequently to us, spectators.

The mystery that connects May the Devil Take You is the blood bond that exists between the sick father and the mysterious entities that are part of the Indonesian imagery where the film was shot. It is clear that there is a connection between the mysterious and sudden convalescence of the man with this obscure secret. Had he made any kind of pact? Or has he just fallen victim to an evil spirit? Regardless of the answer, what we see is that his daughter needs to find out what’s going on before it’s too late. And the old country house holds the key to that answer.

As you can see, May the Devil Take You has a plot that, by itself, is capable of entertaining. The jump scares are there, as in every modern horror movie, but less often than we’re used to seeing. And that’s great news: the craze for scaring every moment has spoiled the experience of watching horror movies, because we know they’ll be there. It’s much better when we’re caught unawares, without warning, and jump out of the chair without seeing it coming. In this sense, this film is competent.

It’s not a perfect movie

The film is directed by Timo Tjahjanto, this being his new original production for Netflix. The first was the relatively praised “The Night Comes for Us”, which debuted this year in the producer’s catalog. Here, he does a competent job by not delivering the obvious right away to anyone who watches. By making a mix of everything that is done in the current horror movies, he manages to escape the obvious pitfalls that bring the same kind of twist to the genre.

Of course, May the Devil Take You is not a perfect movie. Tjahjanto’s strategy works well into the final third of the film, where he indulges in the familiar clichés of conventional horror films. But by trying to get out of the common place, in addition to creating an interesting, relatively easy to follow story, the film is worth a peek. Again, Indonesia’s film production surprises and delivers a product above standard.

Some additional information about May the Devil Take You Netflix

Synopsis 1: She and her stepfamily are about to discover that the sins os the father cannot be erased – they must be faced.

Synopsis 2: Hoping to find answers to her estranged father’s mysterious illness, a young woman visits his old villa and uncovers a horrifying truth from the past.

Age rating: 18

Release year: 2018