The Queen of Black Magic (2021)

Streaming Services: Shudder
Movie Name/Year: The Queen of Black Magic (2021)
Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Length: 99 minutes
Rating: NR
Production/Distribution: Rapi Films, SkyMedia, Screenplay Films, Cathay-Keris Films, Garage Play, Golden Screen Cinemas, MM2 Entertainment, GoPlay
Director: Kimo Stamboel
Writer: Joko Anwar
Actors: Ario Bayu, Hannah Al Rashid, Adhisty Zara, Muzakki Ramdhan, Ari Irham, Ade Firman Hakim, Sheila Dara Aisha, Tanta Ginting, Miller Khan, Imelda Therinne, Salvita Decorte, Giulio Parengkuan, Shenina Cinnamon, Yayu A.W. Unru, Ruth Marini, Gisellma Firmansyah, Putri Ayudya, Farell Akbar, Chacha, Khayla Maharani, Akbar Muhammad, Retno Nono, Trizki Nabil Rahman, Nathan Arsheva Syarif, Callystha Zahra Syaumi
 
Blurb from IMDb: Families were terrorized at the orphanage. Someone wants them dead, apparently with black magic that is very deadly. She has a grudge and she was also born because of the sins of the orphans who formed her into the Queen of Black Magic.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
If there is a better horror movie than The Queen of Black Magic this year, I will be shocked.
 
After the first scene, I felt a little underwhelmed. It utilized a trope-y scare that is way too overdone for my liking – but they put a spin on it that kept me from tuning out immediately.
 
That was the only time in the film where I almost checked out.
 
Throughout the rest, I was glued to the screen. There were very few of the typical jump scares that we see in western horrors. Maybe that’s why everything felt fresh.
 
That’s one of the reasons I really love watching foreign horror flicks. With the difference in cultures, there’s never any real feeling of safety. The norms in media are different, so no character feels like they won’t get affected by the big bad.
 

Most of the time, I tend to lean more toward Korean films, but I just learned it might be time to look into Indonesia as well.
 
The Queen of Black Magic is either a remake, or a reboot, of Ratu Ilmu Hitam (1981). I’ve never seen the original, so I don’t know which is it. This flick made me want to see it, though.
 
Here’s the thing, I don’t want to watch this one again. It absolutely terrified me.
 
I’m no chicken. I have watched some serious horror films. Shudder is one of my ‘must have’ streaming services. My husband just lost his job, and we canceled 90% of our services in order to preserve our money. Shudder was one of the ones we kept. That’s how much I love horror.
 
I’ve sat quietly while watching movies that fall into the ‘torture porn’ category. I’ve let out inappropriate laugher while watching just about any film involving gruesome deaths. This one, however, had me covering my eyes and shrieking and one point.
 

A neighbor knocked on my door to check on me, and it took about a half hour before my adrenaline subsided enough for me to start writing.
 
Granted, a lot of that probably has to do with my insane phobia of centipedes… but even if that’s the case, a lot of the scenes were still devastatingly horrific. In fact, I’d say this film had the most gruesome death scenes of any flick I’ve seen that didn’t include torture porn.
 
If you’re a horror fanatic, you have to see this one. At least once.
 
It was a masterpiece.
 
The Queen of Black Magic will be available on Shudder this Thursday, January 28th.
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 80%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – None
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 6.7/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 5/5
 
Trust the Dice Parental Advisory Rating: R
 
Movie Trailer: