Preman is a 2021 Indonesian action crime drama, written and directed by Randolph Zaini in his first feature length directorial debut. After witnessing the murder of an old man at the hands of vicious gangsters, young Panu along with his deaf father Sandi, a current member of the gang, must fight for their survival as they try to escape the vengeance of its boss, Guru!
Though mostly an action-based film, Preman features a heavy emphasis on the exploration of the father/son connection between Sandi and Panu. Their relationship is strained even further as Sandi accepts a near-death sentence going against the gang , finally able to overcome his loyalty (or fear) of the group and risk everything for his son. Moreover, an in-depth look into Sandi’s troubled past assists in conveying the events that lead him into his current employment organically rather than utilizing a lazy exposition dump.
The premise here is not exactly a unique one, but Preman introduces elements that are lesser seen in the genre to its benefit. Powerful use of symbolism throughout, flashbacks of Sandi’s violent past manifested as skewed visions, dreams featuring anthropomorphic fox suits, are all presented with a vibrant mix of colours, neon lights, and liberal use of slow motion. Consequently, the amalgamation of these dreamlike states bleeding into reality in the film’s final scenes adds to the impressive visual style presented throughout Preman.
This permeating style is present throughout the film in addition to these dream sequences, the use of atypical styles of cinematography along with the alternation in aspect ratios creates some highly polished production values throughout. Additionally, the mixed-use of traditional and modern Indonesian music presents a strong national identity along with fitting the film’s tone perfectly.
Intermittent placed throughout are some impressively intense fight scenes, all of which retain the film’s unique style. The implementation of cinematography, sound design, and sleek editing in an exciting yet realistic manner avoids some more common tropes of the genre. Sandi, though a skilled fighter, is not infallible either, being on the receiving end of the violence on more than one occasion but with his trusty ‘Monkey’s Fist‘, Sandi fights all those in his path with sheer determination in an effort to save his son.
Perhaps not as adrenaline-fuelled as The Raid (2011) or The Night Comes for Us (2018), Preman undeniably delivers an action-packed thrill ride in Indonesia’s dark underbelly. Along with its emphasis on building a robust connection between the protagonists as well as its ever-present symbolism, it teeters the line between action and drama admirably – retaining the best aspects of both without compromise.
We watched Preman as part of the 2022 Fantaspoa Film Festival
More Film Reviews
Film trilogies are a tricky business. With the exception of Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, most trilogies don’t set out planning to tell a singular story across three… Woke Horror is just not sustainable… That’s pretty much the takeaway from the Wrong Turn reboot, a reimagining scripted by Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers and the writer… Offseason opens with grainy, nostalgic footage of beach holidays, set to a fairy tale musical score, before cutting sharply to a grey, desolate coastal shot, where cold waters meet unwelcoming… “A flock of sea eagles attack the coastal town of Santa Cruz, California. Why did the birds attack? Who will survive?” The Birdemic series has been a guilty pleasure of… If you’re familiar with the name Ryuhei Kitamura, you are most likely familiar with either the beloved zombie action flick Versus (2000), the exquisite jidaigeki (period drama) Azumi (2003), the… To me, Justin Russell is quite the underrated horror filmmaker, whose love for the genre shows in his work, such as the ’80s slasher homage, “The Sleeper” (2012). I wanted…
Fear Street Part Three: 1666 Film Review – Even the Strongest Curse Can be Broken
Wrong Turn (2021) Film Review – Hopefully the End of Woke Horror
Offseason (2022) Film Review: Wish We Weren’t Here
Birdemic 3: Sea Eagle (2022) Film Review – Have You Heard of Global Warming?
The Price We Pay (2022) Film Review – We All Want To Make A Living Don’t We?
DEATH STOP HOLOCAUST (2009) Film Review: Decent TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE Homage
Hey there, I’m Jim and I’m located in London, UK. I am a Writer and Managing Director here at Grimoire of Horror. A lifelong love of horror and writing has led me down this rabbit hole, allowing me to meet many amazing people and experience some truly original artwork. I specialise in world cinema, manga/graphic novels, and video games but will sometime traverse into the unknown in search of adventure.