THE feature debut from Indonesian director Jeropoint, Jalan Pulang wastes no time letting viewers know that something is seriously wrong. From the get-go, there is dread in the air and it is not just the fog machines. The death of a husband and the sudden illness of a child are already enough for one horror film, but Jeropoint goes all in. Because this is not your usual “my kid is sick” story, this is “my kid is possibly possessed and is doing absolutely horrifying things” no child should ever be doing.
There is no slow-burn waiting game here. Arum, played with unsettling precision by Saskia Chadwick, is a menace in pigtails. Her unholy episodes are the stuff of pure nightmare fuel, laced with physicality and unpredictability that keep everyone on edge. Whether it is the flickering eyes, bizarre convulsions, or just the way she stands in a room, she is the thunder before the storm.
So no, it is not boring horror. The only thing slow about the film is how long it takes before everything finally clicks into place emotionally and thematically.
