''Susuk''s a 2008 Malaysian Malay-language horror film which was released on 7 August 2008 in

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

. The film is directed by Amir Muhammad and Naeim Ghalili. The story concerns Soraya, who uses the forbidden practice of susuk to be famous.

Plot

Soraya is a young trainee nurse who is starting to feel disaffected by her life. A chance introduction to the world of glamour piques her earlier ambition to be a star. She does not succeed at first, but she is told that the forbidden practice of susuk can help. She has to make a choice whether to stay the way she is, or cross the line. At first, susuk seems to give her confidence in her performance, and even to stand up to her abusive brother-in-law. Meanwhile, Suzana is a prominent diva with an air of mystery. She has long been a practitioner of the black arts due to her use of the extreme susuk

keramat In Sunni Islam, ''karamat'' ( ar, کرامات ''karāmāt'', pl. of ''karāmah'', lit. generosity, high-mindedness) refers to supernatural wonders performed by Muslim saints. In the technical vocabulary of Islamic religious sciences, the sin ...

. Every time she violates a

taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

, a human life is required - first in the form of accidental deaths of her loved ones, then by outright murder and

cannibalism Cannibalism is the act of consuming another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded in more than 1,500 species. Human cannibalism is well documented, b ...

. She develops inhuman, supernatural abilities. At the same time, she yearns for her more innocent days and hires a young assistant who reminds her of "happier times". A mysterious and powerful

dukun A dukun is an Indonesian term for shaman. Their societal role is that of a traditional healer, spirit medium, custom and tradition experts and on occasion sorcerers and masters of black magic. In common usage the dukun is often confused with ...

guides the two women down their paths to corruption. The viewers follow the lives of these two women until their stories converge in the true secret of this dreaded charm.

Cast

* Diana Rafar as Soraya *

Ida Nerina Ida Nerina binti Hussain (born 13 January 1964), better known by her stage name Ida Nerina, is a Malaysian actress, producer and director. Biography Ida Nerina's career in TV and films began in the early 1990s. In 1992, she was nominated f ...

as Suzana * Adlin Aman Ramlie as Dukun Dewangga * Noorkhiriah as Mastura * Gambit Saifullah as Kamal * Sofea Jane as Mona * Aleeza Kasim as Rozana * Tengku Marina as Aini * Anne Abdullah as Sasha * Hairie Othman as Farish *

Chew Kin Wah Chew Kin Wah (; born 30 September 1965) is a Malaysian actor of Chinese descent. In June 2018, he was listed as one of the 10 top Malaysian actors who gain recognition internationally by ''Harian Metro''. Born and raised in Ipoh, Perak, Kin Wa ...

as Producer Lee *

Jalaluddin Hassan Yang Berbahagia Dato' Jalaluddin bin Hassan (born 18 February 1954) is a Malaysian actor and television host. He is famously known for being the host of the Malaysian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? game show in Malay on NTV7 (2000� ...

as Producer Razman * Baizura Kahar as Idola Marcella * Liza Othman as Aliya, soraya mother's * Wan Hanafi Su sebagai Bomoh Effendi

Special appearances

* Yasmin Yusoff as Host TV show *

Jaclyn Victor Jaclyn Joshua Thanaraj Victor (born 4 December 1978) is a Malaysian singer, songwriter, actress & businesswoman who won the inaugural ''Malaysian Idol'', ''Ikon Malaysia'' & ''Gegar Vaganza Season 9''. As the winner of ''Malaysian Idol'', she wo ...

as herself * Sharifah Aleya as Host a Talent Contest * David Teo as Elderly Man * Mazidul Akmal Sidek as TV Readers * Rafidah Abdullah as PA Concert *

Soffi Jikan Mohammad Shoffi bin Jikan (born 13 November 1970) is a Malaysian actor, singer, and director. Personal life On 13 May 2019, Sofi was ordered to defend himself by Mahkamah Petaling Jaya on charges of using marijuana. Filmography Film Tele ...

as Guitarist *

Yasmin Ahmad Yasmin binti Ahmad (7 January 1958 – 25 July 2009) was a Malaysian film director, writer and scriptwriter. She was the executive creative director at Leo Burnett Kuala Lumpur. Her television commercials and films are well known in Malaysia fo ...

as Nurse * Ramona Rahman as Suzana's Concert Guest * Susan Lankester as Suzana's Concert Guest * Tony Eusoff as Suzana's Concert Guest Scenes involving

, Waheeda, David Teo, and Sharifah Aleya however have been cut in the film editing process.Deleted Scene 1
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Production

The film is Muhammad's only genre film so far.

Awards and nominations

The film was nominated in nine categories in the 21st Malaysian Film Festival, 2008 and won three of the categories. Won * Best Actress

* Best Poster * Best Sound Effect - Daniel Tang Nominated * Best Film * Best Costume Designer/Garment - Mohd Zaini * Most Promising Actress - Diana Rafar * Best Art Direction - Ting Lam * Best Original Music Score - Hardesh Singh * Best Cinematography - Daven R. * Best Actor - Adlin Aman Ramlie

Reception

Reception of the film was very polarised. The film was, however, a box office success in Malaysia.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Susuk (Film) 2008 films 2008 horror films 2000s mystery films Malay-language films Malaysian horror films Grand Brilliance films Films directed by Amir Muhammad Malaysian supernatural horror films