Alas Roban Review: Haunted Road, Hollow Scares, One Standout

This Alas Roban review starts with a simple question: can a famous haunted road carry a whole film? Indonesian director Hadrah Daeng Ratu thinks so, and builds a horror-mystery around one of Central Java's best-known ghost legends. The result has atmosphere and one fine performance, but it struggles to turn folklore into real fear.

Alas Roban Review: The Story So Far (No Spoilers)

The Alas Roban plot follows Nursita, a single mother played by Michelle Ziudith, and her daughter Gendis. Their bus breaks down along the Alas Roban route, a stretch of road that local folklore treats as haunted. What begins as an unlucky delay becomes a terrifying night.

The journey forces the pair into the forest on foot. Along the way they meet strange figures and unsettling forces, and they begin to sense that the land hides an old secret. That is as far as we will go here.

It is a tidy setup for a drama-horror-mystery. A mother protecting her child is an easy emotional anchor, and the road gives the film a built-in sense of place.

What Works in Alas Roban

The location is the film's best asset. The forest road feels isolated and watchful, and one reviewer singled out the aerial shots of the route for praise. Those wide views make the characters look small against the trees, which is exactly the feeling a story like this needs.

The mother-daughter core also gives the film a human centre. Even when the scares misfire, you still care whether these two get through the night. That emotional thread is what separates it from a simple ghost-train ride.

The mystery element helps too. Rather than throwing in random frights, the script keeps hinting at a hidden history behind the haunting. Fans of Indonesian folklore horror will recognise the appeal of a legend with real roots in local storytelling.

Alas Roban Cast and Performances

The Alas Roban cast is led by Michelle Ziudith as Nursita, with Rio Dewanto as Supriyanto and Fara Shakila as Gendis. Taskya Namya plays Tika, Imelda Therinne appears as Dewi Raras, and Dewi Pakis plays Mrs. Emah.

Among them, Taskya Namya is the name critics keep mentioning. Several reviewers call her performance the strongest element of the film, and she brings a presence that the stiffer dialogue does not always deserve.

Ziudith gives the mother a convincing protective instinct, which suits the survival angle. The supporting players do solid work, though they are often held back by uneven writing rather than by their own choices.

Where Alas Roban Stumbles

The biggest complaint is craft. Reviewers describe the pacing as uneven, the dialogue as stiff and the jump scares as cheap. When a horror film leans on loud noises instead of dread, the haunted road loses its menace.

There is also a sense of overload. One critic argued the film tries to juggle too many storylines at once, and another found the plot predictable. Those two problems feel contradictory, but they fit together: lots of threads, few surprises.

Reception so far is mixed to negative. IMDb sits at 6.2/10 from a small pool of ratings, while Letterboxd and TMDB audience scores are lower. With so few votes, treat those numbers as a rough guide only.

Is Alas Roban Worth Watching?

It depends on what you want, but for most viewers it is a modest watch rather than a must-see. If you are curious about the Alas Roban legend and enjoy atmospheric Indonesian horror, there is enough here to justify 111 minutes. If you want sharp scares or tight storytelling, you may leave disappointed.

The film is rated 17+ in Indonesia, so it is not aimed at younger viewers. For more in the same vein, browse our horror movie reviews or our mystery movie reviews.

The Alas Roban release date was 15 January 2026, and trailers point to a cinema run in Indonesia. Details on the film are also listed on IMDb. If you like this director's other work, our Jangan Buang Ibu review shows a very different side of Hadrah Daeng Ratu.

Who Will Enjoy Alas Roban

• Fans of Indonesian folklore horror who like haunted-location stories.

• Viewers who value a mother-daughter survival story over relentless gore.

• Anyone who wants to see Taskya Namya's standout performance.