‘Respati’ Review: A Frightening Indonesian Nightmare [Panic Fest 2025]
Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) wasn’t the first horror film to expound upon the terror of a nightmare, but it did wake filmmakers up to the possibilities that existed within that realm. More than four decades later, its influence is still being felt throughout the genre, as seen in Indonesian director Sidharta Tata’s newest film, Respati. Centered around a dream demon of sorts, the feature wears the influence of Craven on its sleeve, delivering an atmospheric tale chock full of frightening imagery. Though Tata’s latest tends to get away from the core concept to explore various other ideas—resulting in a bit of an overstuffed mattress of a film—an abundance of effective scares and the culturally rich story make Respati a nightmare that sticks with you.
Based on a novel by Ragiel JP and adapted by Tata and co-writer Ambaridzki Ramadhantyo, we meet Respati (Devano Danendra), a teen boy whose parents were murdered during a robbery. Living with his grandfather now, the young man is haunted by horrific visions of mom and dad in his dreams. That’s normal for this tortured insomniac. What isn’t is when Respati finds himself in a nightmare forest where he witnesses the death of a stranger. The next morning, he learns that it was a real person who died in their sleep, part of a chain of people passing mysteriously during the night. Whether a curse or a gift, Respati realizes only he has the power to stop whatever/whoever is killing others in their slumber.
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Just about every kid’s worst nightmare is losing their parents, and it’s that universal fear that makes the early moments of Respati so utterly frightening. The poor title character wakes up to a raging storm outside his home, haunted by the grotesque ghosts of mom and dad calling to him. A patient camera (wielded by cinematographer Bagoes Tresna Aji) slowly pans, making the audience sweat as we wait to see what will be revealed around the next corner. This is the on-edge existence of a young man who lives in fear, a fear that Tata assures the audience lives in as well, as the director expresses an ability for crafting nightmares that would have made Craven proud.
It’s not because the dream worlds are all that elaborate (the boy’s nightmares tend to have more of an Insidious vibe, empty and shrouded in impenetrable darkness). No, it’s because the terror expressed is so profound. The one truly striking set our hero does find himself in during his nightmares—a gothic, fairytale forest—features victims trapped in the roots of trees and screaming in pain, a stark representation of the emotional agony Respati wallows in.
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As it was for the Elm Street kids, Respati is a boy living with survivor’s guilt, brought to life by Danandra with a soft-spoken performance that makes your heart ache for this lonely young man. At school, he meets new girl, Wulan (Keisya Levronka), another quiet soul who has her own experiences with losing a loved one. Together, they—along with Respati’s best friend, Tirta (Mikha Hernan)—venture out to uncover the mystery behind whoever/whatever is killing people in their dreams, leading to a story that Nightmare fans will also recognize as one revolving around mob justice and vengeance from beyond. Only Tata’s version involves shamanic curses, possessions, and a ferocious, demonic woman that will remind some of Mortal Kombat’s Baraka (with a fantastical battle towards the end that invokes the popular video game).
Despite the obvious inspirations, Respati is more than an Indonesian Nightmare on Elm Street. Whereas Craven’s film focused on the divide between parents and teens, Tata leans into the terrible void that losing a parent leaves behind. The horror here isn’t necessarily the nightmares themselves. It’s waking up one morning to learn that someone you care about has died. Respati doesn’t exit dreams by placing his wrist on a hot pipe or something of that nature. Instead, he finds objects to pierce his heart and kill himself. Because for him, waking up is pain.
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There’s nothing simple about a dream. They’re messy. Convoluted. And when they’re over, they’re often difficult to make sense of, aside from the emotional resonance they create. Respati has much the same feeling. It isn’t that the narrative is complex, but that the focus tends to get away from the dream elements as if to add a little more originality.
Tata’s film is a bubbling cauldron with ingredients tossed in from Nightmare, A Chinese Ghost Story, Insidious, Friday the 13th, and a host of others. It results in an overflowing pot with a little too much going on, detracting from the simple terror established in the first half and transforming into something a little sillier that’s steeped in tropes. While it has its moments, the latter half of the film never quite captures the horror of the first act, which is only disappointing because Tata displays the potential for something truly scary.
Respati wears its influences on its sleeves, sure, but the combination of inspirations results in something a little more unique than your average Nightmare copycat. Though it loses track of what’s working at times with clutter that stalls the pacing, Tata no doubt delivers a frightening vision that oozes striking imagery that’ll keep you up at night.
Summary
Pulling from the works of Wes Craven, Indonesian horror Respati is a nightmare that sticks with you.
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