If you love Southeast Asian horror films, you may have heard about the upcoming Indonesian movie, “Siksa Kubur (Grave Torture)”. If you were interested in watching this release from director Joko Anwar, then good news because it will air in Malaysian theatres soon – but is there a catch?
Indonesian film director Joko Anwar, known for the “Pengabdi Setan (Satan’s Slaves)” franchise, recently announced that his film, “Siksa Kubur”, has been approved by the Malaysian censorship board and will be released in theatres in Malaysia. The news was well-received by local horror fans, who are excited to watch the film on the big screen. For those curious, this movie talks about what happens beneath the grave after one dies, essentially depicting the afterlife based on religious beliefs.
However, this movie shouldn’t be confused with the controversial Indonesian horror flick, “Siksa Neraka (Hell’s Torture)”. The 2023 movie previously made headlines after it was banned from Malaysian cinemas for its depiction of the afterlife, which goes against religious teachings, as well as scenes depicting extreme violence, gore and torture. While it didn’t air in cinemas, it is now available on Netflix Malaysia.
Besides sharing a similar name, “Siksa Neraka” and “Siksa Kubur” also share a similar premise of depicting the afterlife. Given this fact, many horror film fans were sure that “Siksa Kubur” would also be banned in Malaysia – only to be pleasantly surprised that it was approved. However, this brings the question of how these two movies end up with different fates.
The most common speculation is that the theatrical release of “Siksa Kubur” will be heavily edited. Movies that want to pass censorship in Malaysia will have to revise or remove certain scenes to fit the conditions set by the censorship board. Unfortunately, this also means that “Siksa Kubur” may be shortened or lack context as it isn’t complete. However, Joko Anwar has yet to clarify if the Malaysian release would differ from what he had intended.
What are your thoughts on this? Would you still watch the movie if it was heavily edited?
Watch the trailer for “Siksa Kubur” below:
Sources: Twitter (1)(2), Facebook, Sumber Kini
