Curse of the Totem

Watched Malaysia's 2023 Curse of the Totem (Sumpahan Jerunei) (1:29:24). An expedition of conservators travels through a jungle inhabited by the Melanau tribe, where an allegedly 833-year-old sacred jerunei (an ancient totem pole at the base of which a human male was sacrificed and buried, and a female virgin tied and sacrificed), the oldest in the world, is located. They have a twofold mission: to inspect the jerunei for nomination as a global heritage site to the Global Heritage Preservation Society, and to investigate what happened to the members of the previous expedition, who all mysteriously disappeared. Among the characters are Dr. Sani Otham, whose wife, Dr. Suraya Abdullah, was a member of the first expedition; conservators Bee and Hana; artist Arjuna; Tommi, the host of a reality show titled _Tommi Ghost Seekers_; village head Khalid Bintam; slave girl Matalau; and Nula, the village witch, whose father was a bayoh, or shaman.

The movie is an interesting screening if one is into exotic locales and native legends. Everything, however, relies on jarring surprise rather than suspense, and the audience has no other choice but to sit back and wait for things to happen. On top of it all, the cinematic situation is that of the U.S.A.'s 1984 2010: The Year We Made Contact, albeit set in a Southeast Asian, tropical jungle rather than in outer space, and the jerunei is the black monolith.  

Thankfully, human sacrifice was banned in Malaysia in the 18th century.