My Thoughts on Sorop
Sorop is is another horror film with metaphors at its heart and centers on two sisters, Hanif (Hana Malasan) and Isti (Yasamin Jasem), who return to their ancestral village to claim an inheritance, only to find themselves ensnared in a legacy far darker than family property disputes. Their uncle, Pakde Khair (Egy Fedly), emerges as the film’s disturbing anchor, who is a revenant figure who moves between life and death in a fashion more unsettling than spectral.
The film has a really strong mood with some decent world-building going on too. Director Avianto conjures an atmosphere that’s thick with dread, supported by strong production design and cinematography that captures the quiet of the isolated village.
The ancestral house is a classic haunted space, which is creaky, shadow-laden, and narratively pretty significant. It looms over every scene, and the sound design capitalizes on this with minimal but effective cues.
I enjoyed the bond between the two sisters, it all comes across as pretty believable, and they both give you a reason to care, which is always a good thing in any film. Yet despite this strong foundation, Sorop does struggle with its pacing and execution.
The film spends a considerable amount of time on emotional exposition and familial interactions, and although necessary, they are sometimes overwrought. The horror sequences, when they arrive, are effective but fleeting, and the slow burn buildup doesn’t always feel justified by the payoff.
In particular, the climax, feels compressed, almost rushed, compared to the laborious buildup that precedes it. Slow paced films are great when they are executed well, but Sorop suffers from being a bit all over the place.
And while the film draws heavily on folklore, it does little to subvert the well known genre tropes, and it relies heavily on those familiar beats which become a bit predictable if you're someone who has watched a lot of horror films.
But despite these shortcomings, Sorop is not a complete misfire. It’s a well-acted, visually rich horror film that leans into its cultural roots, and offers offers a satisfying, but flawed experience. The atmosphere is on point here, and I admire the films ambition, but it just comes across a bit more sluggish than it should.
With some better structure, Sorop could have been really good.
[Sorop on IMDB] [Where to Watch and Stream Sorop - It's on Netflix, though it isn't showing up on that list]