# Grave Torture

Grave Torture (Indonesian: Siksa Kubur) is a 2024 Indonesian psychological horror film written and directed by Joko Anwar. The film is based on Anwar's 2012 short film of the same name. The film stars Faradina Mufti, Reza Rahadian, Christine Hakim, and Slamet Rahardjo.
The film received the most nominations at the 2024 Indonesian Film Festival with seventeen, including Best Picture.

## Plot

The film opens with siblings, Sita and Adil, who live with their parents in a small bakery. Their lives are shattered when their parents are killed in a suicide bombing. The bomber, driven by religious fear of Siksa Kubur (grave torture), believed his actions would save him from eternal torment after death. The siblings are then taken to a holding room to be interviewed about the events, where they are found holding a mixtape. Later, when they play the tape, the phrase, "Siksa Kubur," is heard, accompanied by chilling screams and disturbing noises that hint at supernatural torment.
After the tragedy, Sita and Adil are sent to a boarding school, where they struggle to cope with the loss of their parents. Sita, in particular, becomes obsessed with the notion of Siksa Kubur—the punishment inflicted on sinners after death in the grave. Determined to prove that this religious concept is nothing more than a myth, she embarks on a dangerous and obsessive journey to find the most sinful individuals and disprove the existence of grave torture.
Years later, as adults, Sita (Faradina Mufti) works in a nursing home, still consumed by her mission to discredit the concept of grave torture. She begins visiting cemeteries, seeking evidence of what happens to the deceased, particularly those believed to be sinners. As she digs deeper into the world of the dead, she encounters increasingly disturbing and supernatural phenomena. Graves seem to be cursed, and the spirits of the damned begin appearing to her in horrifying forms.
Sita's disbelief in the supernatural is gradually weakened by the terrifying events she witnesses. Corpses show signs of torment, bodies are grotesquely mutilated, and snakes—symbols of the damned—are seen slithering into the mouths of the deceased. Despite these experiences, Sita continues her quest, desperate to prove that the idea of divine judgment and grave torture is a fabrication.
In the film's climax, Sita literally enters the grave of a notorious sinner to confront the truth about the afterlife. What she encounters is far worse than she could have imagined. The sinner's soul is enduring horrific punishment, with bodies twisted, torn apart, and assaulted by demonic forces. Sita's skepticism crumbles as she realizes that Siksa Kubur is real, and she too may face the same fate.
The final scenes show Sita trapped in a terrifying, nightmarish realm where the souls of the damned suffer eternal torment. The film leaves her fate ambiguous but strongly implies that she is doomed to endure grave torture herself due to her rejection of faith and disbelief in the afterlife. Adil (Reza Rahadian), meanwhile, remains distant but unscathed, having kept his faith intact throughout their ordeal.

## Cast

* Faradina Mufti as Sita
** Widuri Puteri as young Sita
* Reza Rahadian as Adil
** Muzakki Ramdhan as young Adil
* Christine Hakim as Nani
* Slamet Rahardjo as Wahyu Sutama/Ilham Sutisna
* Fachri Albar as Sanjaya Arif, father of Sita and Adil
* Happy Salma as Mutia Kirana, mother of Sita and Adil
* Arswendy Bening Swara as Pandi Hakim
* Niniek L. Karim as Juwita Larasati
* Jajang C. Noer as Ningsih Chadijah
* Putri Ayudya as Umaya Rahma
* Djenar Maesa Ayu as Inayah
* Egi Fedly as Husein
* Haydar Salishz as Amar
* Runny Rudiyanti as Lani
* Arfian Arisandy as mysterious man
* Azzam Fikri Pratama as young wahyu

## Release

Grave Torture was released in Indonesia on Eid al-Fitr day April 11, along with Dancing Village: The Curse Begins directed by Kimo Stamboel.

## Reception
### Box office

Grave Torture opened with 257,871 admissions, which is one of the highest opening days for an Indonesian film. By the end of its release, the film surpassed 4 million admissions, making it one of the highest grossing Indonesian films of all time, It competed closely with Dancing Village: The Curse Begins, which on May 14 was announced to have received 3,985,278 admissions. In Russia, the movie released on June 6, and grossed $271,389. In Vietnam, it was released on July 31, and has grossed $57,949.

### Critical response

Jayanty Nada Shofa of Jakarta Globe reviewed the film, saying that "Grave Torture is a neatly executed piece -- something that is quite refreshing amidst the influx of subpar Indonesian horror films. But personally speaking, it is not the scenes of a woman getting stuck in a washing machine or the final grave torture of the big bad Wahyu that make the most lasting impression. It is the first act, namely before the time-skip. Grave Torture boasts a star-studded cast with renowned actors claiming the supporting best character roles. Overall, the first act of “Grave Torture” is still an incredibly solid piece of work. But because of how well-executed it is, the rest of the movie—while still good—feels somewhat lacking compared to the first act."

### Accolades

| Award / Film Festival | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| Indonesian Film Festival | 20 November 2024 | Best Picture | Tia Hasibuan | Nominated |
| Indonesian Film Festival | 20 November 2024 | Best Director | Joko Anwar | Nominated |
| Indonesian Film Festival | 20 November 2024 | Best Actor | Reza Rahadian | Nominated |
| Indonesian Film Festival | 20 November 2024 | Best Actress | Faradina Mufti | Nominated |
| Indonesian Film Festival | 20 November 2024 | Best Supporting Actor | Arswendy Bening Swara | Nominated |
| Indonesian Film Festival | 20 November 2024 | Best Supporting Actor | Slamet Rahardjo Djarot | Nominated |
| Indonesian Film Festival | 20 November 2024 | Best Supporting Actress | Widuri Puteri | Nominated |
| Indonesian Film Festival | 20 November 2024 | Best Original Screenplay | Joko Anwar | Nominated |
| Indonesian Film Festival | 20 November 2024 | Best Cinematography | Ical Tanjung | Nominated |
| Indonesian Film Festival | 20 November 2024 | Best Visual Effects | Lumine Studio, TheCutShop, Qanary Studios, The Organism NO3G Visual Effect, and Abby Eldipie | Nominated |
| Indonesian Film Festival | 20 November 2024 | Best Sound | Mohamad Ikhsan and Anhar Moha | Won |
| Indonesian Film Festival | 20 November 2024 | Best Original Score | Aghi Narottama | Nominated |
| Indonesian Film Festival | 20 November 2024 | Best Theme Song | Tony Merle and Tia Hasibuan for "Jalan Pulang" | Nominated |
| Indonesian Film Festival | 20 November 2024 | Best Theme Song | Bemby Gusti and Tia Hasibuan for "Kisah Anak Manusia" | Nominated |
| Indonesian Film Festival | 20 November 2024 | Best Art Direction | Allan Sebastian | Nominated |
| Indonesian Film Festival | 20 November 2024 | Best Costume Design | Monika Paska | Nominated |
| Indonesian Film Festival | 20 November 2024 | Best Makeup | Novie Ariyanti | Nominated |
| Film Pilihan Tempo | 5 February 2025 | Film Pilihan Tempo | Grave Torture | Nominated |
| Film Pilihan Tempo | 5 February 2025 | Best Director | Joko Anwar | Nominated |
| Film Pilihan Tempo | 5 February 2025 | Best Actor | Reza Rahadian | Nominated |
| Film Pilihan Tempo | 5 February 2025 | Best Supporting Actor | Slamet Rahardjo Djarot | Nominated |
| Film Pilihan Tempo | 5 February 2025 | Best Supporting Actress | Widuri Puteri | Nominated |