Affliction (2021 film)

Plot

Hasan left his rural Central Java home to become a psychologist in Jakarta, driven partly by a strained relationship with his mother Dayu. He lives with his wife Nina and their two children Tasha and Ryan. Nina recently lost her own mother to an illness, though she believes her mother decapitated herself with a knife. Dayu's caretaker informs Nina that Dayu's dementia is worsening in a supernatural manner. Worried that her mother's fate might repeat with Dayu, Nina asks Hasan to bring the family to Dayu's home so they can take her to Jakarta. Hasan reluctantly agrees, but Dayu refuses to leave. Hasan then departs temporarily for work. Paranormal events occur: Dayu hears someone say "Ari Kibar," a shadow appears randomly, and Dayu attempts to cut herself. After drinking ginger tea Nina made, Dayu dies inexplicably. Nina later follows the caretaker to a remote house, discovering she is not a real caretaker. Inside, Nina finds news clippings about Hasan's friend Dimas. She learns that "Ari Kibar" means "Arah kiblat" (Qibla heading); in Dayu's home, that heading points to a tree, beneath which human bones are buried. Hasan returns and reveals that he and Dimas once competed to impress Dayu with their skills. During a fight, Hasan killed Dimas with a knife, and Dayu hid the secret from Dimas' family. Enraged, Nina tries to flee with her children. Hasan decides to kill Nina; he strangles her while she packs, but a neighbor related to Dimas, who overheard the confession, intervenes and kills Hasan with a spade. Hasan and Dimas are properly buried by dawn.