Noob Film Review - M4M4 by Eyra Rahman

nazirullsafry (61)in #teammalaysia • 5 years ago (edited)

"Alya ada mama. Mama pun ada Alya"

Joy and happiness and love does not require monetary wealth. It is shown perfectly in the beginning of the film with the relationship between Alya (Bella Dowanna) and her mother Aini (Nabila Huda). Only staying just in a small setinggan house. Alya carries the vibe to the people around her especially to her close friends. But instead making their relationship better, it draws envy and from there, terror.

Alya is victimised and this has turned their life upside down. The lowest moment of it being nicely delivered around midway of film with the mother Aini stepping back inside the dark empty home with the song by Zulin Aziz playing in the background. The change of color mood also being played nicely from the vibrant, brightly lighted beginning to the dark shadowy ending.

The whole movie is nicely paced and there are a number of nicely timed reveals too. Very well written for I can't spot any obvious gap in the story where we usually we go out from the cinema asking why this and that. Compared to the recent local horror films, this one sits close if not at the very top for me. It has none of just the jump scare and 'scary horror' visuals but it goes deep into the psyche of losing someone dear to you (great performance by Nabila Huda). That makes the paybacks even more juicy and tastier. Especially after seeing the maniacal Remy gets it (played brilliantly by Niezam Zaidi).

Remy, Apai (Kodi Rasheed) and Luk (Ungku Hariz) plays a great trio villian each having their own character. Remy is the apparently crazy one, Apai is the quiet one (It is the quiet one you have to look after) and Luk is the reluctant one.

Aini might have gone full John Wick on the three of them but the show of her misery of the lost of something dear (which the viewer also shares by the earlier happy scenes) is totally vindicated. Plus the flashback of the her husband (Yusri KRU) said to her about if he dies first and how she has to be strong. Alya told her the same thing right after the horror episode.

Plus with the help of the Alya's avenging ghost (or is it just Aini's mother genes and raging fury talking). Drama thriller it might be but also it is borderline horror i.e. each of them villian getting the same scratch on the left arm from Aini.

"Alya ada mama. Mama pun ada Alya"

The presence of the character Pok Wen (Hushairi Husain) tries to bring down the rage through some talk of afterlife punishment but nah...

There are some foreshadowing too especially at the peak of the their happiness, Alya and her mother rammed a sideway stall because Aini was busy on the phone while driving. It is later also because of her carelessness in taking care of Alya by too focusing on her business cost them both.

Also the earlier birthday scene when Alya was small when her father was still alive, to another birthday when Alya is in high school and where the episode of horror takes place.

How society loves to demonise the victim (through gossipping) rather than lending a helping hand. That is one of the reason why in this film Aini did not seek help for Alya after that horror episode, to avoid social embarrassment.

It is also a show of economic struggle that leads into social crimes and the inadequate legal punishment for it, especially in cases involving underaged, which is a real known problem in our society. Which lead to Alya's mother taking justice into her own hands. Not forgetting the plight of Aini as a single mother.

The constant reference to 'ayam' all along the movie. Talking about someone or the state of something in our society...hmmm. What does Pak Hassan mean by "ARIVISTE IS THE WAY!" in his writing about this film? hmmmm....

p/s: Is Faizal Hussein's police character is the same as in 7ujuh and Pusaka? Malaysian Fox Mulder?