Revenge of the Pontianak (2019) User Reviews

A Fair Attempt At A Classic

[var_rien · 6/10 · 29 August 2019]

I had high expectations for an entertaining, possibly powerful retelling of this classic horror tale by Sifu Glen and Gavin (et al).

However, while I did not come away from the movie feeling that it was a failure , I felt disappointed at the movie's lack of oomph.

To me , it failed to conjure an atmosphere of eeriness and foreboding , and I thought its scenes and momentum lacked in the thrill and horror departments quite a bit .

The acting and script seemed adequate , and I especially enjoyed the artistry/cinematography of the scenes set in Kampong setting/reflecting lifestyle then.

I look forward to a future rendition that will also include that -all too classic , too good to be missed - comic relief scene - the Malay Satay man and his two (Chinese and Indian) friends /customers , all whom come face to face with and flee in terror from the Pontianak!

Good try please keep it up

V

Not for those seeking a scare but it is a gore-geous film.

[eemagery · 6/10 · 25 November 2019]

I thought that the film was exquisitely shot! In particular I love the use of the iris shots of the Pontianak perhaps as a tribute to the old black and white films. The tracking shot of the kampung when Siti is about to discover Rais's body is also so gorgeous. There is something very theatrical about the film such as when the pregnant Mina scuttles away from Khalid into the Banana plantation to the use of costumes for the characters at the wedding reception.

There were questions my friend & I had about the film such as why didn't Khalid's parents & the community suspect that Nik is a son born out of wedlock? And what about Su'ut din's fate at the end which was ambiguous (to which Glen replied that there is a missing shot of his scream). The film's lack of horror also took me off by surprise when I first watched it but after a second viewing I think that that's the main point of reviving the Pontianak figure for the cinema today - to emphasise that she is a tragic figure that is demonised rather than demonising her (in a similar vein to Eric Khoo's Nobody (2018) which was written by Amanda Lee Koe for HBO's folklore). However, due to its lack of scares, it does make me question the genre of the film. Is it still considered a horror film if its not that scary?

I also can't help but think that the time period of the film, where Mina and Khalid are separated is parallel to the separation between Singapore and Malaysia suggesting that Mina is perhaps a metaphor for Singapore - she dons the colours of red and white as does the Singapore flag but there isn't any sufficient evidence for this and as such is just merely conjecture.

Despite that, I felt that the film's contemporary take is most welcomed. Its feminist themes is refreshing given the fact that the old Pontianak horror films in the 50s and 60s often depict her as a monstrous figure while in Revenge of the Pontianak, she is this fierce femme fatale who is often clothed in a red kebaya! & also I like how at the film's resolution, she allows Siti to place the nail at the nape of her neck instead of having a male figure to do it. Despite these changes, I appreciated that her essence as a tragic figure & as a protective mother is still kept like in the old films such as Sumpah Pontianak (1958).

As Expected

[CocoMunster · 6/10 · 28 January 2020]

There's nothing much one can do with a story like Pontianak; pretty much everything is predictable. However, I do appreciate the efforts that they took to accurately portray Malaysia in the 50's. The cinematography and colours are simply beautiful.

The thing that bugged me was Mina's character. I know that she is the antagonist by default but I felt like her character could be written better, like she could've prevented her own death by not provoking an obviously unstable man.

Such a waste of time

[kevin-fern25 · 1/10 · 17 November 2019]

I'm not sure what the writer and director were thinking... There are better ways to spend your time and money

Enjoyable Malaysian supernatural revenge

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 6 April 2022]

This Malaysian horror film opens at a wedding in 1965. Siti and Khalid are the bride and groom; he has a son from a previous relationship. During the reception a friend things he sees Khalid's ex in the crowd but when he looks again she is gone. As he drives home he brakes his car to avoid hitting a woman in the road. When he gets out he is killed. The next day his body is found hanging, high in a tree, in the village. A village mystic claims that Khalid and his family have brought a curse on the village; if uncleansed the will suffer further tragedy. This curse is in the form of a Pontianak; a woman who died during childbirth and became a vengeful vampiric ghost.

I thought this was a solid little horror film. It wasn't too scary but was a little bit gorier than I expected given that it only had a 'UK-12' rating. It is the first Malaysian film I'd seen and I must admit I hadn't heard of a Pontianak before; she proved to be an interesting 'monster'... more sympathetic than one might expect; especially once we learn how she came into being. While she was described as vampiric she didn't act like a vampire, at least not in the traditional western sense; this made her more interesting as it was something new. The film had a great atmosphere and a good '60s feel. Overall I wouldn't say this was very scary but I'd still recommend it to horror fans looking for something a bit different.

These comments are based on watching the film in Malay with English subtitles.

Dont waste your time watching this in cinema.

[techymatic · 1/10 · 15 September 2019]

If I could give less than 1 star i would be doing so. The movie is 100% lack of story line. The cinematography is good and i like what they did with the sound effects and all of that. But in the end i felt like im watching a predator movie. Only 1-2 scene you can feel the eerie but the rest it just like watching an action movie instead of a ghost movie. Seriously I felt its not worth it for me to spend it to watch at cinema. So dont waste your time. Just wait for it to be aired at tv then you ll know what i mean. Im so dissapointed with this kind of movie after paying RM85 for my family. Not to mention how they felt. Not recommended at all.

Scary good time.

[snhaider-79067 · 7/10 · 29 October 2019]

The plot was somewhat predictable, but it was still spooky and fun. And, the cast was great too. Worth a watch.

could have been better

[forthatusage · 3/10 · 16 September 2019]

Well the first 1 minute of the movie I got a feeling this will not be a really good movie.. with the shaky camera shooting style to add horror to just a bunch of banana plants.. and the crying voice of the pontianak.. that was the opening scene.. it kept showing the same bush with those banana plants throughout the movie.. so I got a feeling that this is the place the pontianak was buried.. and I was right

Then it got a little better.. the scene where they shoot the lake is really beautiful.. and then the wedding scene.. after that more scary scenes.. but after some point it feels repetitive and a bit boring.. where they keep repeating the scene which shows the rotten pontianak's feet walking on the ground.. the pontianak keep showing up without really doing anything.. Then some killing scenes in between

as all other revenge stories, we all know there would be a story behind it.. I was hoping they will build up the story well to connect the viewers to the story.. but unfortunately it is rushed and more to a short flashbacks with few dialogue.. they should have added more drama and good storyline to balance the dark horror element throughout this movie

only 3 characters are involved in the pontianak's revenge.. so there are not much killing.. they should have added more scenes where the pontianak haunt other villagers too..and they could add some funny scenes while doing that..

and I was hoping while the pontianak is hugging her son at the end.. she will turn to her beautiful self.. it is more believable that way.. and it is kinda weird to see the pontianak meeting her son in that form..with her hands and long nails touching her son...

the plot isn't original and had been repeated hundreds of time before..but with a bunch of talented and popular actors, they could have made a better movie.

Extremely aesthetic but not very satisfying

[borgolarici · 7/10 · 11 August 2020]

The best thing of the movie is its stunning aesthetic: the costumes, the colours, the locations... everything is just stunning. The figure of the Pontianak is also very interesting and has a lot of potential. Sadly, a lot of this gets wasted. The movie has a weird and inconsistent pacing and a lot of scenes feel like fillers. Some things in the script don't even make much sense. But overall I recommend it.

Don't waste your money

[talib-05785 · 1/10 · 4 September 2019]

Terrible show. Plot was predictable. The only horror I get is from watching a show this terrible. The very definition of pontianak is totally lost in this movie. Do you guys even know what is a pontianak and its portrayal? The settings are so bad that at times you can totally tell that it's done in a cheap movie studio.

a beautiful homage to - and rethinking of - the pontiank

[jfwearspink · 10/10 · 31 August 2019]

I shrieked, laughed, cried, closed my eyes, held my ears, thoroughly enjoyed myself ...

'Dendam Pontianak' is not only a homage to, but a rethinking of, the pontianak narrative - one which attempts to open our eyes to her world, which opens our hearts to her ...

I would unreservedly recommend this beautiful film to anyone and everyone ...

Don't waste your $

[dennissa · 1/10 · 29 August 2019]

Low cost production,horrible zombie movie....wait.... it's suppose to be a horror movie isn't it or am I missing something? Great cast but what a letdown with a predictable and lousy plot.Seriously Glen.... I think u can do better.

A style over substance

[zelomatobap · 3/10 · 6 May 2021]

The only good thing about this film is the technical aspect. The cinematography is top notch, very colourful for horror film. The production design and costume design too deserved a praise.

Apart from that, it's overall a mediocre film. The characters are written shallowly. No single character i feel invested nor i found interesting. The film literally can just finish in less than hour. I felt that story stretched too long that the 2nd act being completely boring and doesn't even added anything.

I found the ending funny too. Suddenly the Pontianak just went mad and wrestle, flying kick all the men. Its like you seeing something from Van Helsing, pretty cool but funny.

One of the worst Pontianak film I've ever seen

[baizukahar · 1/10 · 19 August 2021]

Nothing interesting about this film. Seriously. The plot is dull and boring, and it is not scary at freaking all.

Gorgeous cinematography and settings

[burutiterf · 10/10 · 12 September 2019]

I love the painstaking recreation of the 50s and 60s. Good storyline combined with terrific acting and directing

Excellent tribute and reimagining of the Pontianak genre

[shaungohwm · 10/10 · 31 August 2019]

I love love love this re-imagining of the Pontianak genre! It's different from the usual jumpscares. Instead, it focuses on proper storytelling with elegant art direction, camerawork and sound design. The ending nails it for me. I am so proud we have a movie of this high production quality. I think the best tribute to a well-know genre is when you are brave to reimagine something new instead of repeating the same formula - and this movie does so for me!

Lovely cinematography

[siremboahe · 9/10 · 12 September 2019]

Although some might say this does not have enough horror, I disagree. A modern feminist take on the classic films.

Exquisite

[yrapicirev · 9/10 · 12 September 2019]

Ravishingly beautiful cinematography. Really took my breath away as to how classic 60s everything looked. Definitely not your usual horror movie

Wonderful local horror movie

[tyne-69238 · 10/10 · 12 September 2019]

I've not seen a better local horror movie than this. Simply sublime in all areas: plot, casting, direction, cinematography

Nostalgic

[ringbastra · 9/10 · 12 September 2019]

I felt totally nostalgic watching this. Love how it has been updated yet remains classic. Also, surprised to see Christopher Doyle as part of the film staff. No wonder cinematography is so beautiful