Oh well, that’s something to talk about! Target, an Indonesian production from 2018, has appeared on Netflix (and thanks a lot for this and other Asian movies available through that streaming platform!) and because I was in a mood – again – to watch some Indonesian horror (after being quite disappointed with Iko Uwais’ 2018 movie “The Night Comes for Us” I’ve watched a few days before), I’ve chosen this movie. And why not right?
I’m not gonna lie, sometimes I’m checking IMDB to see if anything is worthy of spending 90 minutes or so of my life watching some mediocre or sub-par movie, and sometimes I am lucky I don’t.
I’ve seen the rating of 4.0 for Target, but I’ve learnt already not to trust ratings too much, especially with movies coming from countries like this one we’re talking about, Indonesia. Simply put, it’s not what an usual Hollywood fan would expect and ratings sometimes reflex that unjustly.
Anyway, what we have here is basically a SAW rip-off, but with an unusual dose of comedy thrown in for a good measure. And surprisingly, it works (and that’s a relief).
The nice and welcome feature of the movie is the fact that actors and actresses play themselves. So Raditya Dika (who is also wrote and directed the movie) is simply Raditya Dika, the beautiful Cinta Laura Kiehl is …well, Cinta, and so on. The only exemption is Hifdzi Khoir, who plays Hifdzi, but in the end he’s revealed with another name.
So, as mentioned, Target is basically a SAW scenario. 9 actors are invited to shoot a movie called “Target”, only to being drugged and woke up in a boarded up hospital building. Being ordered around by a mysterious figure in the mask, people start dying…but not without a silly comedic inserts (check Cinta’s throwing knife to Hifdzi, which left me laughing like crazy) or the fight between Samuel Rizal and Abdur Arsyad, which is hillarious!
Obviously, the movie is not taking itself seriously, and so shouldn’t you. It’s a funny ride with a plenty of jokes and silly situations, where the horror factor is basically minimal. Don’t expect any gore galore as in the SAW franchise, this one plays it safe.
I kinda suspected the culprit from the death scene of Anggika Bolsterli, but was led astray a little, but the final reveal was not as much of a surprise. Still, although by Hollywood and seasoned horror/thriller viewer’s standards it’s nothing special and many would frown upon it, I had a good fun watching it.
And I guess, that’s what it’s all about.
Now, let’s have a look at who’s who in this movie. Good (and probably equally bad) thing is, these are mostly fresh actors, with not so many credits, which means they are not really known outside Indonesia. But who cares? It’s time to let them be known here!
Mentioned above, Target was written and directed by Raditya Dika, who also plays himself here, and it’s not the only movie he’s done that! He’s directed, written and starred in movies like Malam Minggu Miko Movie (2014), Single (2015), Koala Kumal (2016), The Guys (2107) and Single 2 (2019).
Cinta Laura Kiehl got an uncredited role in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), but also roles in movies like The Ninth Passenger (2018), MatiAnak (2019) or Jeritan Malam (2019).
Samuel Rizal? I want to see him in Pocong the Origin (2019) and I definitely want to see Mangkujiwo (2020), the prequel to my favorite series Kuntilanak (but the original one with Julie Estelle, not the WTF remake from 2018).
Abdur Arsyad is more of a TV actor, but he was also in movies, mostly comedies, started with Si jago Merah 2: Air & Api (2015), Relationshit (2015), PSP: Gaya Mahasiswa (2019 or The Ghost Painter (2020). And he really does bring his comedy into Target.
Hifdzi Khoir is another comedy actor and has his start in a comedy movie Tak Kemal Maka Tak Sayang (2014) which I know nothing about at all (lol). He can be seen in movies like Jagoan Instan (2016), Koala Kumal (2016), The Underdogs (2017) or Micin Generation (2018).
Are we finished? Not really, no! Ria Ricis is in The Underdogs (2017) also, and I would probably see her in a horror movie I Know When You’re Dead (Aku Tahu Kapan Kamu Mati, 2020).
Anggika Bolsterli has started her movie career with Youtubers (2015), she was in Koala Kumal (2016) with Kifdzi and Raditya as well, Trinity: The Naked Traveler (2017) and it’s sequel Trinity Traveler (2019), and in dramedy Yowis Ben 2 and it’s TV series sequel, among others.
Veteran action star Billy Chong (here going by the name of Willy Dozan) was in movies like Karate Sabuk Hitam (1979), Kung Fu Executioner (1981), Kung Fu Zombie (1981), Fistfull of Talons (1983), he was also in Mad Mission V: The Terracotta Hit (1989) and others.
Surprisingly, the last of those involved, Romy Rafael, has only this movie credit so far, but he’s not really an actor, so that is not so surprising.
The movie is on Netflix as of the March 2021 so if you want to get yourself acquainted with Indonesian horror cinema, you can check this one as well.
