Common Sense Media Review
By JK Sooja
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Heavy violence, gore, child abuse in demon horror film.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Sumala
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In SUMALA, a selfish husband pressures his wife to bear him an heir. To appease him, she makes a deal with the devil and is suddenly pregnant with twins. They decide to call them Kumala and Sumala. But things don't go well after the birth, and suddenly, the entire village is in danger.
Is It Any Good?
With a few edits here and there, this demon slasher movie could have been better. As is, however, Sumala is unevenly paced and messy horror, overly long with at times confusing exposition. Right off the bat, it's hard to relate to the wealthy couple trying to conceive. Especially after the traumatic birth scene (that includes the somewhat shocking infanticide moment), we know who will be due their comeuppance, but getting there takes a long time. The first half essentially shows parents abusing their 9- to 11-year-old daughter in various ways, daily and nightly chaining her up so she can't escape or hurt them. And while the second half satisfyingly unleashes Kumala/Sumala on their parents and the rest of the village, at almost two hours long, the conclusion is long overdue by the time it happens.
The film is also not that scary. Indeed, there are many gory and violent moments, but so much of it is over the top and not believable. Leaning into this for comedic or tongue-in-cheek effect could have helped, but the film tries to take itself very seriously. Thus, instead, many unintentional laugh-out-loud moments happen instead of genuine thrills or scares. One highlight, however, are the outstanding performances of Makayla Rose Hilli and Ivonne Dahler, who play Kumala and Mbok, respectively. Hilli is incredible in her role, as she has to play a sweet, innocent child and a demon from hell. Dahler is also fantastic as the one character who brings a genuine human softness to the horrible household.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in horror movies. Did you find the violence in Sumala particularly scary? Why, or why not?
Why do you think a story like this continues to thrill the villagers in that part of Semarang Regency?
Do you think the ending is satisfying? Why, or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : February 6, 2025
- Cast : Luna Maya , Darius Sinathrya , Makayla Rose Hilli , Ivonne Dahler
- Director : Rizal Mantovani
- Inclusion Information : Asian Movie Director(s) , Southeast Asian Movie Director(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 113 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate