Ratu ilmu hitam

'The Queen Of Black Magic (1981)' is an Indonesian horror film in which a woman is accused of using black magic to ruin the wedding of her ex-lover and, after being thrown off a cliff, is subsequently taught black magic by a mysterious stranger who wants her to get revenge on those that did her harm. It's a bit of an odd film, with a serious tone that's offset somewhat by its often silly surrealistic visuals. Still, it works well enough for what it is. What it lacks in atmosphere and compelling characters it makes up for with pulpy special effects and a straightforward plot. It more or less just sees its protagonist pick off her wrongdoers one by one, until it moves into its final third and it starts to focus more on the fact that she doesn't want to keep hurting people. There's a really weird and unnecessary plot twist near the end that doesn't do anything other than make things really uncomfortable and, in general, the picture is only ever so compelling. However, it's generally enjoyable and features some entertaining special effects. It's a solid effort. 6/10.