A new spirit of Malaysian horror

The Malaysian film Roh (on Netflix) is a pagan horror with clear Koranic references, a work of foreboding menace set entirely in a nameless forest somewhere deep in the Malay peninsula. Directed by Emir Ezwan, Roh topped the Malaysian Netflix chart when it started streaming on the platform earlier this month and boosted curiosity in Malaysian ghost films, a rich repertoire sometimes overshadowed by the more prolific Thai and Indonesian horrors.

Roh tells the story of a jungle-dwelling family — a mother and her two pre-teen children — who encounter a series of increasingly supernatural threats. First, a mysterious little girl appears at their house, and the next morning something gruesome happens to her. Soon a grey-haired crone visits the family, speaking cryptic warnings and recommending black magic counter-curses. Then another stranger shows up…