IR Film Review: THE DRAFT! [Shudder]
The integration of Indonesian horror in many instances deals with ritualism or a mythology (as many films of festival favorite Joko Anwar has done). Anwar is even name checked in "The Draft" [Shudder] which in many ways once its concept comes into play is quite inventive, if not a little on the nose. The film follows five college kids who comes out to what seems more like an abandoned villa in a jungle looking for haunted elements. It is basically the set up for what people believe would be a basic horror movie. The key here is that there becomes an awareness, which is maybe not quite given its due possibility with anticipation until the very last minute but it does speak to how the language, even in lower budget filmmaking, has evolved...with the right writing, even in a global setting. There needs to be gore at times yes, but it is interesting how director Yusron Fuadi is able to play it, using tropes of different caricatures against themselves. Beginning with the host: Uncle Dadang who is not really anybody's uncle to characters who arrive eventually not knowing their backstory, the concept (even with its meta structure) starts to work well when it engages its Matrix-like logic where certain things can be changed. That twist in structure is what causes this story to stand out.
"The Draft" does incorporate one specific special effect and it is great how the opening shot really sells this in a very specific (and budget friendly way). One part of the film is of course a little too on the nose but adds some nice action to it...but again it makes it palpable. There is also some interesting homages to "Predator" (specifically in the credits) even though the story has nothing to do with that narrative. Of course it brings elements like a well or stretching a person's mouth open to a point of breaking that give the film enough dread in certain ways. The most vivid character is the film nerd (always carrying around an old Handycam). The nerd Mir knows the tropes but it is also unclear at times if he is the writer as well. While "Barton Fink" approaches writers block in a certain way (and "The Big Lebowski" came out of it), "The Draft" uses it on a more basic level but it works it well. The characters question why they don't feel right or respond to certain things (as if it wasn't written for them yet). But at one point sitting around a table they come to a realization and that is the real strength of "The Draft": its eventual awareness. The DIY aspect has its moments where other moments are beautifully render. "The Draft" is uneven but yet also effective in certain ways. B
By Tim Wassberg
