Jakarta. “Sekawan Limo” -- now out in theaters -- is an Indonesian comedy horror that gives you heartwarming surprises. 

“Sekawan Limo” is the Javanese term for “four out of five”. Youtuber Bayu Skak directed the almost two-hour comedy horror with dialogue that is almost entirely spoken in Javanese. However, Indonesian subtitles are available at the theaters. So the audience does not need to worry as long as they speak Indonesian. 

The movie tells the story of a bunch of youngsters climbing Mount Madyopuro. There are some rules when it comes to mountain-climbing: they must travel with an even-numbered group and one must not turn their back. The journey starts off with just Bagas (Bayu Skak) and his crush Lenni (Nadya Arina). They meet other climbers along the way, including Dicky (Firza Valaza), who steps up as the self-appointed leader. Followed by comic relief Juna (Benedictus Siregar). The group then picks up Andrew (Indra Pramujito), whom they find lying on the ground unconscious. The quintet’s journey is a spooky one, as the climbers --with the exception of Bagas-- keep getting haunted by ghosts. Supernatural forces also prevent them from reaching their destination. The climbers also begin to suspect that someone in the group is not human.

The non-chronological “Sekawan Limo” is a fun, lighthearted movie. Again, humor is in the eye of the beholder, but I personally find many moments --especially ones that involve Juna-- entertaining. It appears that other viewers were in agreement as well, judging by how laughter oftentimes filled the theater. However, the humor in the podcast scenes is not as hilarious.

Despite the lighthearted nature of this comedy horror, “Sekawan Limo” is surprisingly heartwarming. 

I initially thought that “Sekawan Limo” would focus on protagonist Bagas and his love interest Lenni, but I was wrong. The movie gives all five climbers a captivating backstory without boring the audience with long flashbacks. 

Lenni is blaming herself for her mother’s death. Bagas, who has been an orphan since a young age, tries to console her. Dicky is addicted to online gambling and has been running away from his debt. Juna is bullied on campus for being a corrupt politician’s son and not being good-looking. Andrew is struggling with his absent father and an out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Rather than scare the viewers, “Sekawan Limo” uses the ghosts for comedic purposes, and surprisingly for the movie to inspire the audience.

The ghosts that they encounter are manifestations of the problems that they are trying to run away from. The only thing that can get rid of the ghosts is acceptance. Just like how the “do not look back” rule goes, one should keep moving forward in life. 

Lenni finally accepts her mother’s death, while Dicky promises to pay off his debt after being haunted by his debt collector. Andrew decides to take responsibility for his girlfriend’s pregnancy. 

And finally the big reveal: Juna has been the ghost all along. Juna had long died in an accident when he was traveling with a group of back-stabbing female students who had been using him for money. This is the part where “Sekawan Limo” warmed my heart the most. With his bullied past, Juna has been craving for some sincere friends. The members admit that they see Juna as a friend, including the once-arrogant Dicky. Juna finally makes friends even though he does it after his passing.

All in all, when I stepped into the theater, I was already expecting I would get some good laughs out of “Sekawan Limo”. But I did not expect that I would feel warm and fuzzy inside. 

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