Indonesian filmmaker Adriyanto Dewo has selected a new psychological horror project for the JAFF Future Project with “Evil Underground,” about estranged sisters trapped in the basement of a shopping mall.
The Indonesian production, directed by Dewo and produced by Perlita Desiani and Tina Arwin through production company Relate Films, is among 10 Asia-Pacific titles selected for the JAFF Future Project at this year’s JAFF Market in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
“Evil Underground” follows a group of teenagers who gather for a midnight horror screening in a crumbling old mall. Among them are sisters Dian and Mirna, still estranged after their father’s death sent Dian to a mental health retreat. After the film, a friend challenges them to attempt a viral ritual in the lowest basement of the mall: five circles at midnight, headlights off, a simple mantra.
Nothing happens until the final loop ends with a violent jolt, and when they go out to check, Dian has disappeared into the darkness. As they search for her, the basement transforms into a looping psychological trap where shadows whisper, corridors repeat, and an entity mimics the dead, feeding on their buried guilt. To survive, the group must confront the secrets, tensions, and betrayals they have long avoided, for the deeper the darkness deepens, the more they hunt down everything they refuse to face.
For Dewo, the story comes from two personal experiences. “Years ago, my partner and I were briefly stuck in the basement of a shopping center parking lot. She suffers from claustrophobia and I saw her fear intensify in a very real and visceral way,” explains the director. “This moment made me realize how a familiar place can suddenly seem threatening and disorienting. »
The second inspiration came from something more emotional. “As we get older, we start to hear more news about the deaths of people around us, parents, relatives, friends,” says Dewo. “And recently, I watched two sisters close to me lose their father. They responded to grief in very different ways. Not as extreme as in the film, of course, but the contrast was stark. It made me think deeply about how people experience grief differently, even within the same family.”
These two elements – the unsettling feeling of being lost in an urban basement and the emotional complexity of siblings dealing with grief – came together. “This blend of personal memory, real-life observation, and a desire to explore grief through genre storytelling is what inspired ‘Evil Underground,’” says Dewo.
The director wants to use horror as a lens to examine contemporary youth anxiety. “We live in a time where young people face more pressure, anxiety and loss than ever before, and yet they often hide it behind humor, distraction or social media,” he says. “‘Evil Underground’ uses horror as a way to explore this, about how unspoken pain can turn into jealousy, resentment and destructive behavior when it’s never addressed.”
The producers added: “As producers, we were drawn to ‘Evil Underground’ because it frames pressing social issues within a compelling, elevated horror concept. The project reflects the emotional climate of today’s youth, the silent pressures, fractured relationships and increasing intensity of urban life, but channels it through a genre approach that feels fresh and accessible.”
At JAFF Market, filmmakers aim to establish strategic partnerships that will help move the project from a strong local project to a film with global reach. “We would like to use this event as an opportunity to launch a breakthrough in the new flavor of Indonesian horror,” say the producers. “Where we want to focus on social issues wrapped in a terrifying psychological thriller, a genre rarely explored and tested for fear of market unreliability.”
The team is looking to connect with potential international co-producers, distributors and sales agents who share their passion for genre films with social depth. “We also hope to obtain early market feedback, explore the positioning of the festival and strengthen the visibility of the project within the Southeast Asian and international industry network,” they say. “The JAFF Market is an important platform for us to introduce “Evil Underground” to the right collaborators who can help us maximize its creative and commercial impact.
Dewo’s first feature film, “Tabula Rasa”, won him the Citra Award for Best Director at the 2014 Indonesian Film Festival. He also directed “Homecoming”, which had its world premiere at the 2019 Macau International Film Festival, and won the Citra Award for Original Screenplay at the 2020 Indonesian Film Festival. He has also worked in the field of horror, directing the segment “Ghost Market” in the horror anthology of 2012 “Hi5teria”.
Dewo is also set to write and direct a remake of the 1988 Indonesian horror cult classic “Lukisan Berlumur Darah” for Mandela Pictures and Relate Films, with production expected to begin in the second quarter of 2026.
The project is currently in development. JAFF Future Project functions as both a development platform and co-production hub, designed to advance independent works towards completion and distribution. The initiative runs from November 29 to December. 1 at the Jogja Expo Center in Yogyakarta as part of the broader celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Jogja-Netpac Asian Film Festival.
