Dukun (2018)

Dukun is special because it treats its supernatural chills with the gravity of a real national scandal, fusing courtroom drama, crime procedural, and folk-horror dread into one hypnotic spell. Dain Said builds an atmosphere that feels humid with secrets—where every conversation carries a threat and every corridor seems to echo with unseen bargains—while the effects and ritual imagery land with unnerving confidence. At the center, the performances (especially Faizal Hussein’s grounded, increasingly shaken defender and Umie Aida’s mesmerizing accused shaman) make the moral stakes feel intimate, not just sensational. It’s not a light watch and it won’t be for viewers who prefer their thrillers clean and comforting, but if you want a smart, culturally rooted chiller that tightens like a noose, Dukun is absolutely worth your time.

Dukun is clearly aiming for a slick, headline-grabbing mix of courtroom crime thriller and occult horror, using a notorious-feeling case to comment on greed, power, and the price of “miracles.” When it works, Umie Aida brings a chilling, controlled presence that keeps the mystery humming, and the procedural angle gives you something grounded to hold onto. But the film’s biggest problem is its tone: it flirts with serious social outrage while also leaning into lurid, exploitation-tinged shocks, and that push-pull can make the whole thing feel uneasy for reasons that aren’t always intentional. If you’re looking for tasteful, thoughtful horror or a sober true-crime-style drama, this may feel tacky and opportunistic; if you can tolerate pulpy sensationalism in exchange for atmosphere and a creepy central performance, you’ll get more out of it.