Marthino Lio Carries Grief and Gore: Badut Gendong Review

This Badut Gendong review starts with a simple promise: Indonesian horror with a bleeding heart. Charles Gozali directs a story that mixes folk curses, grief and bursts of action around a village celebration. It is also released internationally as Dance of the Damned.

Badut Gendong Review: The Story So Far (No Spoilers)

The Badut Gendong plot follows Darso, a clown busker who has lost his wife and unborn child to thug violence. Wrecked by grief, he brings his wife's body back to his home village. He hopes for some kind of peace there.

He does not find it. The village is in turmoil because of a conflict with an evil developer, and a curse ritual is stirring up dark forces. The story is set around a sacred sugarcane wedding celebration, which gives the film a strong local flavour.

The tagline, "Love Bleeds," sums up the tone. This is a horror film, but it is driven by loss and love rather than pure shock. Darso is also tied to the evil forces through the person he loves most, and that idea hangs over the first act.

What Works in Badut Gendong

The premise is the film's biggest strength. A sad clown is an old image, but pairing it with village folklore feels fresh for local horror. Audience reviews on Letterboxd single out the shots and the gore as highlights.

• Atmosphere: the village setting and the celebration give the film a distinct sense of place.

• Emotional core: the horror grows out of grief, so the scares carry some weight.

• Pacing choice: one blog review argues the slower rhythm makes the central transformation feel convincing.

The genre mix is ambitious too. It borrows from action and fantasy as well as horror, and it runs a lean 101 minutes. That keeps the story moving even when it lingers on mood.

Badut Gendong Cast and Performances

Marthino Lio plays Darso, and the film rests on his shoulders. The role asks him to be a performer, a mourner and a man pushed toward something darker. Grief is the key note, and it holds the story together.

Clara Bernadeth plays Arini, and Derby Romero appears as Jamil. Dayinta Melira plays Darsi, Iskak Khivano is Billy, and Vonny Anggraini plays Yu Tini. Together they fill out a village that feels crowded with grudges and secrets.

The ensemble works best when it sells the community's fear and tension. It is hard to judge deeper performance details from the available material, so treat that as a broad impression rather than a firm verdict.

Where Badut Gendong Stumbles

The slower pacing that helps the mood will test some viewers. If you want constant action, the quieter stretches may feel long. One Letterboxd reviewer also found some moments annoying, though the review did not suggest the film falls apart.

There is a lot going on. A greedy developer, a curse ritual, a wedding celebration and a personal tragedy all compete for space in under two hours. The premise suggests a risk that some threads get less attention than others.

Critical consensus is also thin. There is no published Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic score yet, and the signals so far come from audiences and bloggers. Letterboxd sits at 3.16 out of 5 from more than 2,400 ratings, which points to a mixed-to-positive response.

Is Badut Gendong Worth Watching?

Yes, if you like gory, folklore-driven horror with some emotional weight. It is a distinctive local take that values mood and grief alongside its blood. Audience scores are decent rather than glowing, so set your expectations accordingly.

The film arrives on 27 May 2026 in Indonesia, with national ratings of 17+ in Indonesia and 18+ in Malaysia. That tells you to expect strong violence and dark themes. If you want more in this vein, browse our Indonesian horror review of Tumbal Proyek style picks, or see Cerita Lila for another recent scare.

For background details, the TMDB page for Badut Gendong has cast and release information.

Who Will Enjoy Badut Gendong

• Horror fans who want folklore and gore rather than jump scares.

• Viewers who enjoy Indonesian genre cinema with a sad, human centre.

• Anyone curious about Marthino Lio in a dark, physical lead role.