What Is Affliction About?
The premise of Affliction in 316 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In a quiet town on the outskirts of Central Java, Hasan has built a new life as a psychologist in the bustling capital of Jakarta, leaving behind the strained relationship that once defined his ties to his mother, Dayu. He carries the weight of his professional ambitions while trying to nurture a small family: his supportive wife Nina and their two children, Tasha and Ryan. The contrast between the serene, rural upbringing and the restless energy of the city creates a persistent undercurrent of tension that follows the family wherever they go.
The story pivots when Nina, still reeling from the recent loss of her own mother, is called back to her in‑law’s home, where Dayu’s health is rapidly declining under an unsettling, almost otherworldly haze. The house, perched on a modest plot of land, feels haunted by whispers and shadows, and the caretaker’s uneasy demeanor hints at secrets that are not easily spoken. As Nina watches her mother‑in‑law’s mind fray, she becomes determined to understand the root of this deterioration before it claims her as well.
Within the family’s dynamic, old grievances surface and new mysteries emerge. Hasan’s professional background urges him to rationalize the strange occurrences, while Nina’s intuition pulls her toward a deeper, more personal investigation. The children, caught between their parents’ unspoken worries, add an emotional layer that makes the home feel both intimate and fragile. The atmosphere is thick with an almost palpable dread, where everyday moments are tinged with the possibility of hidden truths lurking just beyond the reach of daylight.
As the family grapples with the mysteries surrounding Dayu’s condition, the film weaves a tense, melancholic tapestry of grief, cultural expectations, and the restless pursuit of answers. The tone remains haunting yet grounded, inviting the audience to feel the weight of unanswered questions that linger in every creak of the old house and every lingering glance between loved ones.
What Happens in Affliction?
The complete story of Affliction, from the first scene to the last, in 462 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 5 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Hasan leaves his rural Central Java home due to a strained relationship with his mother, Dayu, and travels to Jakarta to pursue a career as a psychologist. He is married to Nina and has two children, Tasha and Ryan. [Nina] had just lost her mother to illness and believes she decapitated herself with a knife. Dayu’s dementia is worsening, and a caretaker notes the troubling, almost supernatural turn of events around her.
At Nina’s request, fearing her mother’s fate might mirror Dayu’s, Hasan reluctantly brings the family to Dayu’s home to move her to Jakarta. But Dayu resists the idea, and Hasan leaves his family temporarily on a work assignment, sparking a chill of unease that will linger over the household. Paranormal activity edges into their days: Dayu is heard saying a chilling phrase, and a shadow seems to drift through rooms at random. > Ari Kibar
Dayu also attempts to cut herself, deepening the fear that the elder woman is slipping away under inexplicable forces. One day, she drinks the ginger tea Nina prepared and dies under circumstances that resist easy explanation, leaving the family stunned and unsettled by the sudden tragedy.
Nina, unsettled by what she suspects is more than dementia, follows a caretaker when the woman leaves a village path and enters a remote house. She discovers that the caretaker is not real and instead unearths a collection of news clippings that reveal Hasan had a friend named Dimas. The discovery deepens the mystery: why would Hasan and Dimas be so eager to impress Dayu, and what secret were they guarding?
The investigation also clarifies the meaning of the cryptic phrase that haunted Dayu, with the revelation that “Ari Kibar” translates to “Arah kiblat” or the direction of the qibla. In Dayu’s home, the heading points toward a tree, where human bones lie buried, a macabre hint that ties the living to a long-buried secret from the past.
Back in the house, Hasan confesses that he and Dimas used to obsessively try to win Dayu’s favor with their supposed talents. In a violent confrontation that follows, Hasan kills Dimas with a knife, a deed that casts a long shadow over everyone involved. Dayu attempts to shield the truth from Dimas’ family, choosing silence over reckoning, but Nina refuses to let the deception stand.
With her children in tow, Nina attempts to flee Hasan’s escalating menace, and his own desperate, violent impulse metastasizes into a plan to kill her. While Nina is packing, Hasan strangles her, but a neighbor—someone connected to Dimas—overhears the confession and intervenes, killing Hasan with a spade. By dawn, Hasan and Dimas are laid to rest, their past actions finally buried with them, as the family begins to reckon with the consequences of secrets kept too long.
Affliction Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
11 key events in the order they happen, from “Hasan leaves his rural home for Jakarta” to “Dawn burial and aftermath”. 11 events name a place, across 7 locations.
- 1
Hasan leaves his rural home for Jakarta
Hasan leaves his rural Central Java home to pursue a career as a psychologist in Jakarta, signaling a new chapter for him and his family. He moves with the goal of better opportunities while Nina and the children stay behind for the moment, tethered to the life they know. This relocation foreshadows the strains and temptations that will challenge them later.
When:prelude Where:Rural Central Java to Jakarta
- 2
Nina's mother's death and unsettling belief
Nina has just lost her mother to illness, but she believes the death involved decapitation by a knife. The memory haunts her and adds a sense of fragility to the family as they contend with Dayu's unsettling dementia. These personal traumas set the emotional backdrop for the events to come.
When:prelude Where:Nina's home
- 3
Dayu's dementia worsens and caretaker's warning
Dayu's dementia seems to worsen with disturbing, almost supernatural signs, prompting her caretaker to warn Nina about the danger ahead. The family grows uneasy as Dayu whispers odd phrases and moves in shadowy ways around the house. The warning pushes Hasan to confront the plan to relocate Dayu.
When:early Where:Dayu's home
- 4
Hasan brings the family to Dayu, Dayu resists
At Nina's request, Hasan reluctantly brings the entire family to Dayu's house in Jakarta to take Dayu back with them. Dayu refuses to leave and stubbornly clings to her home, making the plan falter. In the fallout, Hasan temporarily leaves the family on work rather than facing the crisis.
When:early Where:Dayu's home (Jakarta)
- 5
Paranormal signs and Dayu's fear
Paranormal activity escalates as Dayu appears to hear the phrase 'Ari Kibar' and a shadow moves through rooms at odd hours. Her fear spikes and she even tries to cut herself during moments of panic. The unsettling occurrences unsettle the entire household.
When:during stay Where:Dayu's home
- 6
Dayu dies after drinking Nina's tea
One day Dayu drinks a ginger tea prepared by Nina and dies inexplicably, leaving the family stunned and terrified. The death seems to carry a supernatural implication and raises questions about what truly haunted Dayu. Nina and Hasan are left to piece together the truth.
When:after the haunting Where:Dayu's home
- 7
Nina exposes the caretaker and discovers Dimas
Nina follows the caretaker to a remote house and discovers she is not a real caretaker after all. Inside, she uncovers news clippings about Hasan and a man named Dimas, revealing their past obsession with Dayu. She also learns that 'Ari Kibar' refers to the Qibla heading, and that bones lie buried beneath a tree at the house.
When:post-Dayu death Where:Remote house
- 8
Hasan confesses to killing Dimas
In a heated confrontation, Hasan admits he and Dimas once plotted to impress Dayu and that he killed Dimas with a knife during a fight. The revelation explains the long-buried secret behind the haunting. Dayu had kept the truth from Dimas' family to spare them pain.
When:after discovery Where:Hasan's home
- 9
Nina and the children plan to flee; Hasan's threat rises
With the truth exposed, Nina tries to flee with her children, but Hasan resolves to kill her rather than let the secrets be exposed. The tension escalates into a deadly standoff in the house. The family imperils themselves as Hasan's plan moves toward violence.
When:night Where:Nina's home
- 10
Nina is attacked but saved by a neighbor
While Nina is packing, Hasan lunges to strangle her, but a neighbor connected to Dimas overhears and intervenes. The neighbor fatally kills Hasan with a spade, ending the immediate threat to Nina and the children. The community member's intervention brings a swift, final consequence to the night.
When:night Where:Nina's home
- 11
Dawn burial and aftermath
Hasan and Dimas are buried by dawn, and the house settles into a fragile quiet as the truth about the past comes to light. The family mourns the losses and begins to confront the trauma that has haunted them. The film closes on a note of aftermath rather than resolution.
When:dawn Where:burial site near the house
Who Are the Main Characters in Affliction?
7 characters, among them Hasan, Nina and Oma: who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- H
Hasan
Played by Ibnu Jamil
Hasan is a Jakarta-based psychologist and family man who moves his wife Nina and their two children toward Dayu's care. He becomes obsessed with impressing Dayu using his past friendship with Dimas, which fuels manipulation and secrecy in the family. When confronted, he murders Dimas and later attempts to kill Nina, revealing a pattern of coercion and violence that drives the film's climax.
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- 🗝️
- 💔
- N
Nina
Played by Raihaanun
Nina is Hasan's wife and mother to Tasha and Ryan. She arrives in Dayu's home grieving her mother's death and fears Dayu's fate as she believes dementia may mirror her own mother's decline. She becomes entangled in the family's secrets and, after Hasan's confession, fights to protect her children, ultimately surviving the confrontation with Hasan thanks to a neighbor's intervention.
- 💔
- 👪
- 🕯️
- O
Oma
Played by Hetty Reksoprodjo
Dayu, referred to as Oma, is Hasan's mother whose dementia worsens under mysterious circumstances, hinting at supernatural influence. Her home conceals a dark past, with human bones buried in a tree facing the Qibla, uncovered by Nina's investigation. Her condition and the family's responses drive the plot and reveal the obsessive past of Hasan and Dimas.
- 🧠
- 🪦
- 🕯️
- DR
Dimas Rangga
Played by Fajrul Ravi Ahmad
Dimas is Hasan's friend who shares their misguided obsession to impress Dayu. He is killed by Hasan during a confrontation, exposing the dangerous dynamic between the two men and the motivation behind their actions.
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- 🗝️
- 👀
- T
Tasha
Played by Tasya Putri
Tasha is Hasan and Nina's daughter, a child who witnesses the tension in the family as Dayu's dementia escalates and the violence unfolds. She represents the vulnerable youngest generation caught between adults' secrets.
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- 👶
- 🌟
- R
Ryan
Played by Abiyyu Barakbah
Ryan is Hasan and Nina's son, sharing the fear and confusion of the family as Dayu's dementia reveals itself and the danger surrounding the family. He is a witness to the escalating events that threaten his family.
- 👪
- 👶
- 🏡
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Narsih
Played by Dea Panendra
Narsih is Dayu's caretaker who informs Nina about the worsening dementia and the supernatural undertones surrounding Dayu's condition. She holds key information about Hasan's past relationship with Dimas and the secrets hidden in Dayu's home.
- 🧭
- 🕯️
- 👁️
Where and When Is Affliction Set?
Affliction is set in Central Java and Jakarta (Modern day). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.
When
Modern day
The story unfolds in contemporary Indonesia, with a present-day setting that allows for modern domestic dynamics, technology, and urban living to intersect with superstition and unresolved trauma.
Where
Central Java, Jakarta
Affliction unfolds first in Hasan's rural hometown in Central Java before shifting to Jakarta as the family seeks Dayu's care. The action moves between Dayu's home and a remote house where dark secrets lie buried, underscoring the contrast between quiet countryside and urban danger. The settings help build tension around family secrets and a haunted past.
- 🏡 Rural Central Java
- 🏙️ Jakarta
- 🔮 Supernatural
What Are the Themes of Affliction?
4 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Paranormal, Memory and Secrets.
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01
Paranormal
The film threads supernatural hints through Dayu's worsening dementia and eerie happenings in her home. Strange whispers, shadows, and occult clues gradually push the family into a fear-driven spiral. The supernatural elements serve as a catalyst for uncovering long-buried pasts.
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02
Memory
Dementia defines Dayu's presence and becomes a mirror for the characters' memories and guilt. Hasan's and Dimas's past obsessions surface as the family searches for reasons behind Dayu's condition. The fragility of memory drives mistrust and escalating violence.
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03
Secrets
Hidden pasts emerge as Nina uncovers the bones buried in a tree and the truth about Hasan's friendship with Dimas. The unlocked secrets fracture the family and reveal dangerous dynamics rooted in pride and denial. Secrets drive the plot toward a violent confrontation.
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04
Violence
The story culminates in lethal confrontations that expose the destructive power of obsession and deceit. Hasan's murder of Dimas and his attempt to kill Nina propel the climax, ending with the neighbor's intervention. The violence exposes the consequences of hidden truths finally coming to light.
What Kind of Film Is Affliction?
Dark in tone, with steady pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Dark
- Pacing
- Steady
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- High
- Ending
- Bleak
A tense and emotionally draining supernatural thriller that methodically unravels a family's dark secrets, culminating in a violent and tragic confrontation.
- suspenseful
- grief-stricken
- claustrophobic
- oppressive
- anxious
- paranoid
- family secrets
- grief and loss
- murder
- supernatural horror
Content notes: murder, strangulation, self harm, dementia, child endangerment.
Quiz
How well do you remember Affliction? Test yourself on the story.
