Danur

Sinopsis Film Danur: I Can See Ghosts

Danur: I Can See Ghosts is an Indonesian horror film released on March 30, 2017, directed by Awi Suryadi and produced by MD Pictures and Pichouse Films. The Film is adapted from the novel The Danur Dialogue Gate Risa Saraswati's work, which tells the real experience of the author as an indigo Girl. Starring Prilly Latuconsina as Risa, the film managed to attract 2,736,391 viewers and achieved the MURI record as the horror film with the most viewers in six days. Here is the full synopsis:

Background and early life of Risa

Risa Saraswati is an indigo Girl Who since childhood has the ability to see supernatural beings. He lives alone because his family is busy. Her father works abroad and only comes home every six months, while her mother, Elly (Kinaryosih), is a teacher who is often busy and rarely accompanies Risa. As a result, little Risa grew up as an introverted and lonely child. On her eighth birthday, Risa makes a simple wish: to have a friend to relieve her loneliness. This Hope became the starting point for supernatural adventures in his life.

Meeting with a ghost friend

Shortly after her birthday, Risa heard the voice of a boy singing a Sundanese song titled My Doll, which is said to have been a spirit-summoning song. Ia kemudian bertemu dengan tiga anak laki-laki keturunan Belanda: Peter (Gama Haritz), William (Wesley Andrew), dan Janshen (Kevin Bzezovski). All three are ghosts of children who died during the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies. At first, Risa does not realize that they are ghosts because they look like ordinary children who speak Indonesian. Risa was happy to finally have a Playmate, and she often spent time with them, playing and laughing.

However, her mother, Elly, begins to suspect Risa's strange behavior of often talking and laughing to herself. Elly realizes that Risa is as if playing with invisible people. Elly's worries mount, and she decides to call a shaman named Asep to investigate. Asep reveals that Risa has indigo abilities, including kissing danur- the characteristic smell that comes out of the body of a living being that has died and decomposed. In order to scare Risa away from her friends, Asep reveals the true form of Peter, William, and the terrible Janshen in the form of ghosts. Traumatized by this experience, Risa asks Asep to close his inner eyes, and he loses contact with his three ghost companions. Elly then moves Risa out of her childhood home to keep her away from supernatural influences.

Return to the childhood home

Nine years later, Risa is now 17 years old and returns to her childhood home in Bandung with her sister, Riri (Sandrinna Michelle), and cousin, Andri (Indra Brotolaras). They are assigned by Elly, who is on duty out of town, to look after their sick grandmother until the nurse arrives. The house is full of Risa's childhood memories, including warnings from Peter, William, and Janshen not to approach the large banyan tree near the house, which is said to be inhabited by evil spirits.

While playing in the yard, Riri found an old comb stuck in a banyan tree and took it. This action triggered a series of strange events. That night, a nurse named Asih (Shareefa Daanish) arrives home to take care of grandma. Risa feels suspicious of Asih, especially because Asih quickly familiar with Riri, and Andri does not seem to be able to see the presence of Asih. Risa starts to smell danur again, which indicates the presence of supernatural beings. Her suspicions are confirmed when she realizes that Asih is not a human, but a vengeful female ghost.

Love terror and kidnapping Riri

Asih, later known as kuntilanak, began terrorizing Risa's family. As it turns out, the banyan tree is where Asih committed suicide after killing her own baby due to the social pressure of being pregnant out of wedlock, as explained in the spin-off film Love (2018). Asih has an evil intention to take Riri to the unseen realm as part of his revenge. The peak of terror occurs when Riri suddenly disappears, abducted by Asih to another dimension.

Risa, panicked at losing her sister, decides to reopen her inner eye and call back Peter, William, and Janshen for help. Although initially their relationship was tenuous because Risa had "expelled" them, the three ghosts of these children faithfully helped Risa. Together, they face Asih in an attempt to save Riri. The fight against Asih is fraught with tension, with Risa having to overcome her own fears while trying to protect her sister from the clutches of an evil spirit.

Completion and impact

With the help of Peter, William, and Janshen, Risa manages to save Riri from the supernatural and banish Asih, although the threat of this evil spirit has not completely disappeared, as described in the sequel and subsequent spin-offs. This experience strengthens Risa's bond with her ghost friends, as well as making her accept indigo's abilities as part of her. The Film ends on a bittersweet note, showing that although Risa has gone through great trials, her life's journey with the unseen world is far from over.

Unique themes and values

Danur: I Can See Ghosts not only does it present horror suspense, but it also raises the theme of an unusual friendship between humans and ghosts. The Film stands out for showing that not all ghosts are evil, as revealed by producer Sian S. Faisal. The story also explores the impact of loneliness and family dynamics on a child's emotional development. Songs My Doll and elements of Sundanese culture add depth to the mystical atmosphere, while portraying danur as the smell of death gives a unique twist to the horror narrative.

Main Cast

• Prilly Latuconsina as Risa Saraswati
• Sandrinna Michelle as Riri
• Shareefa Daanish as Love
• Kinaryosih as Elly
• Wesley Andrew as William
• Gama Haritz as Peter
• Kevin Bzezovski as Janshen
• Indra Brotolaras as Andri
• Ingrid Widjanarko as a grandmother

Interesting Facts

• The Film is adapted from the real-life experiences of Risa Saraswati, who is indeed on friendly terms with the five ghosts of the Dutch children (Peter, William, Janshen, Hans, and Hendrick), although Hans and Hendrick do not appear in the first film due to casting limitations.
• Songs My Doll actually used by Risa in real life to call her ghost friends.
• At the premiere, five empty seats wrapped in white cloth were reserved for “Peter CS” as a tribute, adding to the mystical aura of the film.
• Danur became the highest-grossing Indonesian horror film of its time, surpassing Tali Pocong Virgin (2008), and also aired in Malaysia and Brunei in May 2017.

Danur: I Can See Ghosts is the opener of Danur Universe, which continues with Chapter 2: Maddening (2018), DanEXCLUSIVEDanur 3: Sunyaruri* (2019), as well as spin-offs such as Love (2018), Love 2 (2020), and Ivanna (2022). The Film was not only a commercial success, but also paved the way for the biggest horror franchise in Indonesia.