The Haunted Hotel (2023)
Plot: sisters inherit a hotel and the terrible curse that it harbors.
Panggonan Wingit (or Yesterday’s Place, released on Netflix internationally as the far more descriptive The Haunted Hotel) is another in a long line of Indonesian reproductions of a foreign property. While Indonesia has a proud and long tradition of reinterpreting foreign (typically American) features for domestic audiences The Haunted Hotel imitates something decidedly closer to home, both stylistically and spiritually. While Anggy Umbara was making Hell Torture (2023) producer Rocky Soraya had Guntur Soeharjanto did an Indonesian reproduction of another J-horror classic, in this case Hideo Nakata’s revered Ring リング (1998), and mix it with local folklore. While Nakata’s offering has stood the test of time and still is as intense as it as when it originally saw release, it remains yet to be seen whether The Haunted Hotel will be remembered with the same fondness and glee twenty years from now.
Guntur Soeharjanto was the man behind the second Suzzanna New Generation entry Suzzanna: Kliwon Friday Night (2023). Instead of immediately rolling out another Suzzanna feature producer Ram Soraya and Soeharjanto retained the same team and their principal actress and looked towards Japan for inspiration. Interestingly, The Haunted Hotel deviates from the Suzzanna New Generation formula by not including any old horror or fringe cinema monuments. Luna Maya is, of course, the star of the Suzzanna New Generation series having starred in Suzzanna: Buried Alive (2018), Suzzanna: Kliwon Friday Night (2023), and a yet-to-be released third entry. Rocky Soraya (who’s producing here) is slated to direct the third chapter Suzzanna: Witchcraft of Life Melting Knowledge. Bianca Hello is famous in her own right being the focal point of the The Third Eye (2017-2019) series or an exclusively Indonesian sub-franchise spun from the original Thai horror classic The Eye 見鬼 (2002). Besides this being a faithful adaptation of Ring リング (1998) Soeharjanto spices things up with the folktale of Samudra Beach Hotel in the Pelabuhan Ratu district of West Java. The resort has an unnumbered room, 308, furnished with the sacred color of green and adorned with a Ketapang tree and a portrait by famous Indonesian painter Basuki Abdullah reserved for especially Nyi Loro Kidul or the Queen of the South Sea, the female spirit or deity from Javanese and Sundanese mythology. The hotel was established in 1966 and commissioned by then-president Sukarno. According to local superstition the president came to the hotel to seek her sakti (power) and “marry” the Queen of the South Sea in a union of land and sea. Suzzanna portrayed the Queen of the South Sea in Awakening of the South Seas Queen (1985) from Sisworo Gautama Putra. The folktale has continued to endure with the indigenous population and is a draw for tourists. It earlier formed the basis for 308 (2013) from Jose Poernomo.
Raina (Luna Maya) and her younger sister Fey (Bianca Hello) have returned to Semarang, Java to attend to matters pertaining the recent passing of their father Baskara (Rafael Adwel). Not only have the sisters a funeral to arrange they also are to inherit the Ambar Mangun hotel their late father owned. Currently the hotel is under stewardship of the girls’ grandfather Garinto (Budi Ros) and grandmother Suktini (Oce Permatasari). The two wish to retire and have appointed Raina and Fey as their legal successors. The resort has recently been the subject of an investigation when maid Ningrum (Hami Diah) was found lifeless and horribly flayed, almost beyond recognition, on one of the floors. Naturally, a mysterious and ghastly death like this attracts the attention of the press and Raina’s ex-boyfriend and reporter Ardo (Christian Sugiono) has been dispatched to write an article about the case. Raina and Fey are told in no uncertain terms to avoid the third floor and specifically room 308. One day Raina is drawn to the third floor and room 308 and she’s told, “three days, midnight” by a ghostly white-haired girl. As the curse is put upon Raina and with certain death imminent can she and Fey unravel the mystery of the ghostly girl and unearth what terrible secret their father went through such great trouble to bury?
What’s interesting is that Soeharjanto and writer Riheam Junianti tell their story with a near-identical group of characters going as far as to maintain the ones that Hideo Nakata and writer Hiroshi Takahashi substantially changed from the original Koji Suzuki novel from whence they came. Maya’s Raina is true to the Nanako Matsushima (松嶋 菜々子) original and reporter Ardo is close enough to identical Hiroyuki Sanada's Ryūji Takayama with Fey as Raina's sister (and not her daughter or a gender-swapped Yōichi). It’s always good seeing Maya and especially here without elaborate prosthetics that come with her Suzzanna New Generation role. The only big changes (insofar they are big or important) are the difference in venue (a hotel) and the means of transferance (hotel room vs video tape) and some of the character relations. The means of how the curse is transferred is indeed different but for all practical intents and purposes similar enough to warrant a passing mention. While Indonesia has a very fascinating folkloric bestiary their ghosts are largely similar to those of the nearby Thailand and wider Asia in general. Whereas Sadako Yamamura (山村 貞子) was a yūrei (幽霊) here Menoer is the Javanese equivalent of the pocong (ꦥꦺꦴꦕꦺꦴꦁ).
Menoer is referred to as Jasmine in one or two instances as the white jasmine (Jasminum sambac) is one of three national flowers in Indonesia. Ring リング (1998) was the catalyst for the great J-horror boom of the late 90s/early 2000 that also gave the world Hell 地獄 (1999), Audition (1999), Battle Royale (2000) and Suicide Club (2001). In the last couple of years (or at least as early as 2023) the country is hell-bent on re-imagining most, if not all, the modern J-horror classics for the domestic market. The Haunted Hotel does this for Ring リング (1998) and Hell Torture did so for Hell 地獄 (1999). Hopefully Rocky and Ram Soraya will finally give the world the Indonesian Audition (1999), Battle Royale (2000) and Suicide Club (2001). While we appreciate their continued and continuing effort to dominate the zombie market, it’s time to look for something else. While few have been able replicate what Hideo Nakata managed with Ring リング (1998) The Haunted Hotel is worth seeing. Interestingly the sequel The Haunted Apartment: "Miss K" (2024) arrived a mere year later in a strange coincide that mirrors the original Ring リング (1998) and its first sequel.
