Perumahan Laddaland (2026)

Perumahan Laddaland Review: A Familiar Haunting in a New Housing Complex

Perumahan Laddaland arrives as Indonesia's latest entry in the suburban horror cycle, directed by Awi Suryadi from a script credited to three writers. The premise — a family moves into a dream home financed by a mortgage, only to be tormented by whispers, apparitions, and buried secrets — is serviceable but hardly fresh. At 99 minutes, the film has enough runtime to build dread, yet it often feels stretched, relying on well-worn genre beats rather than forging its own identity.

Direction and Atmosphere

Suryadi demonstrates a competent grasp of mood, using the sterile uniformity of the housing complex to unsettling effect. Long corridors, identical facades, and the hum of distant construction create a palpable sense of isolation. The sound design deserves praise; subtle creaks, distant chants, and layered whispers do heavy lifting before any visual scare appears. However, the visual language leans heavily on desaturated palettes and abrupt jump cuts that feel more derivative than deliberate. There's a missed opportunity to exploit the uniquely Indonesian context — local folklore, communal tensions, or the specific anxieties of home ownership in Jakarta's periphery — in favor of a generic haunted-house template.

Performances: A Committed Ensemble

The cast carries the material further than the script allows. Titi Kamal as Melisa grounds the supernatural chaos with a weary, realistic exhaustion; her portrayal of a mother trying to hold the family together while questioning her own sanity is the film's emotional anchor. Andri Mashadi's Tomy oscillates between stoic provider and desperate father, though the character's arc is underwritten. Anantya Kirana and Shakeel Fauzi Aisy as the children deliver naturalistic performances, avoiding the precocious-horror-kid trap. Supporting players — Delia Husein, Aufa Assegaf, Laras Sardi — add texture, but several are relegated to exposition-delivery roles.

Story and Pacing: Where the Cracks Show

The narrative unfolds in predictable phases: unsettling incidents, skeptical denial, frantic investigation, and a climactic confrontation. The mystery element — "dark secrets lurking within the complex" — is teased but never deepened; revelations arrive via convenient flashbacks and exposition dumps rather than organic discovery. Pacing suffers in the middle act, where repetitive scare sequences (flickering lights, figures in mirrors, sudden loud noises) substitute for escalating tension. The third act attempts a thematic pivot about generational trauma and greed, but it arrives too late and too vaguely to resonate. The 17+ certification suggests graphic content, yet the horror remains largely psychological and suggestive, which may disappoint gore-hounds but could appeal to viewers preferring atmosphere over splatter.

Who Should Watch?

Fans of Indonesian horror looking for a polished, if formulaic, night in will find enough craft to justify a watch. Viewers craving innovation or cultural specificity may leave wanting. The film works best as a showcase for its lead actors and sound team, less so as a standalone story.