Is Setan Alas! Worth Watching? Our Review of This Meta-Horror

This Setan Alas! review starts with a simple question: can an Indonesian horror film laugh at its own genre and still deliver scares? Director Yusron Fuadi tries to do both in an 84-minute meta-horror that mixes supernatural dread with satire. It is small in scale but sharp in intent.

Setan Alas! Review: The Story So Far (No Spoilers)

The Setan Alas! plot is easy to describe. Five college students head to a remote old villa for a weekend. The place comes with the usual warning signs: an old well, a forbidden room and a dark secret from the past.

Soon the group senses something unseen, and the trip turns strange. The tagline, "Fight 4 Your Fate," hints at the tone. Survival depends as much on wits as on courage.

The film is also listed internationally as The Draft!, and it reached Indonesian cinemas on 5 March 2026. That is the Setan Alas! release date for its home audience. It carries an Indonesian D17 classification.

What Works in Setan Alas!

The biggest strength is the idea. Fuadi and co-writer Anindita Suryarasmi treat familiar local horror habits as material for satire. The result feels like a breath of fresh air in a field that often repeats the same formulas.

A few other things stand out:

• A deceptively simple setup. The opening looks like standard haunted-house fare, then keeps shifting.

• Twists that keep you guessing. Viewers who go in blind get the most out of it.

• Tight running time. At 84 minutes, the film does not overstay its welcome.

The film's pedigree also helps. Reports credit it with three awards at the Indonesian Screen Awards at JAFF 2023, including Best Film and Best Editing, though sources disagree on the exact wording of one prize. Even so, the festival attention suggests this is more than a throwaway genre piece.

It is a good pick if you enjoy horror movie reviews that try something different. It also sits at the edge of Sci-Fi movie reviews, thanks to its odd, hard-to-explain threat.

Setan Alas! Cast and Performances

The Setan Alas! cast is led by young performers who sell the mood of their characters. Anastasia Herzigova plays Wati, and Winner Wijaya plays Amir. Putri Anggie appears as Ani, and Adhin Abdul Hakim plays Iwan.

Ernanta "Soeyik" Kusuma appears as Mang Dadang, and Haydar Salishz plays Budi Murah. Reviewers have noted that the youthful ensemble conveys the feelings of its characters convincingly. That matters in a film that depends on group dynamics when things go wrong.

The cast works best when the story needs them to bicker, panic and think their way out. As with many ensemble horrors, some characters are drawn more sharply than others.

Where Setan Alas! Stumbles

This is not a perfect film. Audience reviewers point to quite a few flaws, and the modest scale shows. A meta concept can also be a double-edged sword, because the satire may land harder for viewers who know Indonesian horror conventions well.

Public scores are mixed. IMDb sits at roughly 4.8 to 4.9, while TMDB users give it 6.2 out of 10, though that is from only four votes. With so few ratings, treat those numbers cautiously.

Anyone expecting a relentless, jump-scare-heavy ride may also be disappointed. The film cares as much about commentary and cleverness as it does about fear.

Is Setan Alas! Worth Watching?

Yes, if you like horror that thinks about itself. Setan Alas! offers a clever premise, a brisk pace and a pointed look at how Indonesian horror is often made and sold. It does not execute every idea cleanly, but its ambition is clear.

The less you know beforehand, the better. Fans of the genre will find plenty to chew on, and even casual viewers get a short, lively watch. Details on where to watch it are not confirmed, so check local cinema listings or your usual streaming services. You can also read more on the IMDb page for The Draft!.

If you want to compare it with other local scares, our Hasut review covers a more traditional woodland haunting.

Who Will Enjoy Setan Alas!

• Horror fans who enjoy satire and genre-aware storytelling.

• Viewers who follow Indonesian cinema and want a fresh take on local horror.

• Anyone who likes short, twisty films best watched with no spoilers.