Streaming Sleepers: In QODRAT, Vino G. Bastian Battles To Save Our Souls!
Angga D. Sasongko’s fantasy action adventure reboot, Wiro Sableng 212, never made it stateside, something I hope changes before long. That film’s campaign ultimately put its star, Vino G. Bastian, on the radar for a lot of us who’ve been paying attention, especially folks who’ve kept eyes on any film movement out of Southeast Asia for as long as some of us have.
Invariably, that task extends to the stewards at Prime Video who’ve since featured one of Bastian’s latest screen successes, Qodrat. It’s a supernatural action horror thriller, a subsect of the genre I typically enjoy from any region, which also makes how off radar this film was for me at the time all the more annoying.
The film is directed by Imron Ayikayu, along with Charles Gozali, the latter who also hit my timeline at some point in the past decade with 2016 martial arts actioner, Juara, another Indonesian title seldom seen around these parts. Motivated by a trailer I finally caught onto, and with a sequel already on the way, Qodrat became essential viewing, and you know what? I’m glad I saw it when I did.
Qodrat thrives heavily on strong, dark contours and scintillating suspense, coupled with chilling visuals and moments of gore to spruce things up some. It’s as haunting as you might expect for a supernatural thriller that deals in themes of religion and faith, all set against a backdrop ghosts and demons, and voluminous exorcisms.
What’s more is that the filmmakers focused greatly on consultation with experts and scholars so that core moments in the script remained true to Islamic values and Javanese culture. It all culminates as we follow Qodrat (Bastian), a former exorcist whose faith is shaken in the time since his son’s death, followed by his imprisonment for gross neglience. With questions on his mind, he returns to the boarding school where he studied in hopes of seeking answers, only to learn of dark forces terrorizing the villagers, accompanied by a more sinister, traitorous presence in the midst.
Most of the movie delivers slow burn, albeit intense cerebral thrills and all the visual and audible trimmings aimed at catering to horror fans. By the second half, Qodrat finally starts throwing down a little more as an action spectacle, previewed earlier in a fight scene between our protagonist, and Alif (Keanu Azka), a wheelchair-reliant boy who at one point turns into a possessed vessel armed with a pair of shears.
A few of the more organic fight scenes occur well into the second half between Bastian and his co-stars, including Randy Pangalila who plays Zafar. The final battle pits Bastian with co-star and wife Marsha Timothy in the role of the mother, Yasmin, with an explosive sequence involving fire and wirework, with the actors’ performances purely enhancing the moment.
Gozali himself contributes to the action as well with a team comprised of co-star and martial arts choreographer Cecep Arif Rahman (The Raid, John Wick: Parabellum), and stunt coordinator Jonathan Ozoh (Message Man, upcoming Vidio series drama “Bad Guys”). Coupled with Hani Pradigya’s cinematography, and a script and mood that captures the absolute potency of the film’s vision, and you get a story that’s wholly worth the redemption our hero seeks in his quest.
Much of that search is done as our hero rides a cool ass motorcycle too. If you’ve been on board with the proliferation of Southeast Asia cinema in the last few decades, there’s a good chance watching Qodrat kick some hellish ass will suffice. Bearing that in mind, there’s a trailer for the film below, as well as the one for the sequel just beneath.
Ayikayu and Gozali are back at the helm for the follow-up as well with Bastian reprising his role as he quests to make peace with his son’s death, while he efforts to protect his distant wife from As’Suala, who is literally hellbent on destroying Qodrat’s faith at any cost.
Check out the trailers below, and watch Qodrat on Prime Video.
