Even in a year chock-full of examples of distinctively-voiced horror, the Indonesian offering IMPETIGORE stands out. It’s self-aware without being glib (someone asks “who kills students?” the answer every horror fan knows, is any antagonist in a horror film), it’s extreme without being nasty and it uses aspects of uniquely Indonesian culture to add depth without resorting to outright stereotype. It’s pretty hard to neatly categorise in a horror sub-genre, incorporating elements of slasher, folk, occult and supernatural horror but never settling in one for long. Prepare to be constantly wrong-footed, frequently shocked and consistently entertained by this unique beast. Tara Basaro and director Joko Anwar are a killer combination and while they may be genre veterans in their home country, Impetigore could very well get them some much-deserved attention in the West. SSP
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Sam Sewell-Peterson
I'm not paid to write about film - I do it because I love it. Favourite filmmakers include Bong Joon-ho, Danny Boyle, the Coen Brothers, Nicolas Winding Refn, Clio Barnard, Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, Paul Verhoeven, Taika Waititi and Edgar Wright. All reviews and articles are original works written and owned by me. They represent one man's opinion, and I'm more than happy to engage in civilised debate if you disagree.
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