Netflix’s Indonesian horror movie “Sumala,” which was directed by Rizal Mantovani, uses a family’s complex history to tell a terrifying thriller. A pair of twins who were brought into the world under dubious circumstances are at the heart of the narrative. Since their marriage, Soedjiman and Sulastri, their parents, have been childless for many years. Sulastri eventually becomes so desperate that she turns to a shaman for help. According to the shaman, she will have children, but it will cost her dearly. Sulastri learns the real significance of the agreement she made with the Devil as the movie progresses. The fact that the movie says it was inspired by real-life events adds appeal to it. BEWARE OF SPOILERS.
An Indonesian Urban Legend is the Basis for Sumala
An urban tale that has long been discussed in the Semarang Regency in Central Java is fictionalized in Netflix’s “Sumala.” The story’s fundamental framework doesn’t change. Years after getting married, a woman named Sulastri was still childless, so she looked for unethical ways to conceive. As odd occurrences were recorded in the town during her pregnancy, the warning signs of something bad began to appear. Her husband and other family members also observed something odd going on around them at the same time. A few of them sensed that something unseen was pursuing them.
Sumala, the newborn girl Sulastri eventually gave birth to, was severely malformed. (Notably, Kumala, the twin from the film, is not mentioned in the original narrative.) People hated her because of her appearance, and they soon began to blame her for all the strange and terrible things that had happened more frequently since she was born. Some people have reported seeing Sumala talking to herself, while others have noted odd things in her conduct over the years. The villagers were alarmed when the children began to vanish, but they were also determined to deal with Sumala and the evil they felt she had brought upon them.
Sumala became the subject of stories, with some claiming that she was conceived as a result of her mother’s agreement with the Devil. More stories concerning the girl’s purported abilities were then spread. Sulastri and her daughter were eventually attacked by the locals as the situation worsened and more and more children went missing. Sumala was led to the village’s ancient well and dumped into it. Since then, she is thought to have transformed into a malevolent spirit that, despite the passage of time, still haunts the community. Around the ancient well, strange and terrifying noises have been heard, particularly a young girl’s cries.
Sumala’s Name Continues to Spark Fear in the Locals
Like all urban legends, Sumala’s tale has changed throughout time. Most people think she comes out after dusk and picks up the kids who aren’t at home. Additionally, it is thought that calling her name alone can call her forth. Even now, the locals observe the prohibition against sending their kids out after dark in an effort to ward off her spirit. To placate her and prevent her from inflicting her anger on defenseless youngsters, a number of rites are followed.
Even while her tale is widely believed, some people have questioned it. Since there are reportedly no official records of a girl like Sumala and her terrible death in the community, some people speculate that the story was made up as a cautionary tale about tampering with dark powers. Some people, on the other hand, think that there might have been a real girl named Sumala and that she might have suffered a terrible fate. However, as her story was passed down orally, it has undergone major modifications and alterations over the years, making it impossible to track down and verify its authenticity.
The Filmmakers Found Sumala’s Story From a Viral X Thread
The issue of children going missing in Semarang and the surrounding areas is entirely true, regardless of whether Sumala is a work of fiction or not. Although human trafficking has been heavily blamed, officials have noticed an increase in missing persons instances over the years. In a series of tweets in late 2023, Betz Illustration discussed the missing kids and their relationship to Sumala, creating the whole tale of the twins. After the tweets went viral, producer Rocky Soraya became interested in the subject because of its mystical elements and the ongoing effects it has on the local population.
The film production began when Riheam Junianti was called in to turn Betz’s story into a script. Although the filmmakers were eager to tell this terrible tale on screen, they later disclosed that they encountered some difficulties. When it was alleged that his wife was haunted by Sumala’s spirit and declared that she did not want the movie to be made, a narrative about the film’s location scout entered the picture.
According to reports, the locals also objected to the project because they believed that Sumala’s narrative should be feared and revered rather than made into a show. The filmmakers were aware of this, and before the show started, the whole cast and crew prayed to the higher forces to grant them the ability to shoot without a hitch. The crew begged Sumala for permission to make the movie, and she was mentioned in the prayers as well. She apparently heard their pleas, for the film is currently available for watching on Netflix all over the world.
