“Qodrat 2” Review: A Horror Sequel That Promises Chills, But Fumbles The Fear

“Qodrat 2” isn’t your typical horror flick. As someone who lives for a good scare, I walked in expecting demons, dread, and maybe a few scenes that’d have me side-eyeing the shadows. But if I’m being real? My scared-o-meter barely twitched.

If you haven’t seen the first “Qodrat,” brace yourself – this sequel throws you straight into the deep end. There’s little hand-holding, so if you’re not already invested in Ustadz Qodrat’s journey, some of the plot threads might feel all over the place. But for returning fans, you’ll probably catch the references and flow faster than I did.

Horror… Or Something Else?

Now, the horror? It’s there. Kind of. But it’s tangled up in this genre soup – a little bit of romance, some workplace drama, and even a dash of spy thriller energy?

Honestly, it felt like the movie was trying to do too much at once, and none of it really stuck the landing. There’s spooky potential, especially in the opening, but instead of committing to the horror, the film pivots into themes like labour rights and religious redemption. Noble, yes. Scary? Not really.

The Emotional Disconnect

That whole redemption arc? It was there, but didn’t really hit. Emotionally, I felt a bit disconnected – and the transitions between scenes didn’t help. Some moments felt abrupt, like we were hopping between subplots without fully settling into any of them. It’s like the film kept tossing interesting ingredients into the pot, but never stirred long enough to cook up something cohesive.

Acting That Could’ve Gone Deeper

Performance-wise, Vino G. Bastian (Ustadz Qodrat) and Acha Septriasa (Azizah) were… fine. Nothing bad, but nothing particularly memorable either. The script gave them just enough to work with, but I wish there was more depth, more spark  – especially when the stakes were meant to be soul-level high.

Aesthetic Haunting, But Not Quite Scary

Let’s talk horror. The demon makeup? Creepy and on point. That was probably my favourite part visually. But the actual exorcisms and spiritual showdowns? They leaned more toward spectacle than scare. I wanted chills. I got… CGI and drama. And the fight choreography? A bit awkward. Not quite the graceful exorcist-versus-evil energy I was hoping for.

On the technical side, “Qodrat 2″ does have its moments. The cinematography sets a decent eerie mood, and you can tell effort went into crafting the supernatural aesthetic. But there were clunky action sequences and a few moments where the editing had me cringing. The pacing’s okay – not painfully slow – but there were definitely filler scenes that didn’t push the story forward and made it feel longer than it needed to be.

A Flick With More Message Than Scares

Bottom line: “Qodrat 2″ has some cool supernatural elements, but they get buried under a pile of side plots and mixed messages. It’s not a total miss – fans of the first film might enjoy the continuity and character callbacks –but if you’re coming in fresh, you might walk out confused and slightly underwhelmed.

If you’re into Indonesian cinema or like your horror with a moral lesson twist, it might still be worth checking out. Just don’t expect to walk away clutching your rosary or sleeping with the lights on. This one’s more of a slow burn – but it never quite reaches the heat it promises.

“Qodrat 2” is currently showing in cinemas nationwide!