Diandra Agatha
Mawar
Overview
After Mawar falls for her very first boyfriend, her friends' joy turns into suspicion as they realize he may not be who he seems.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
4 min readThe Ghost in the Candy Store
I’ve seen this trick before—the haunted boarding house, the tight-knit friend group, the boyfriend who isn’t quite what he seems. It’s a recipe that’s launched a thousand horror films, and yet Do You See What I See manages to feel both familiar and unsettlingly fresh. Maybe it’s the way director Awi Suryadi leans into the mid-90s aesthetic, not just as set dressing but as a kind of emotional shorthand.
The Tupac posters, the chunky sweaters, the way the camera lingers on a landline phone like it’s a relic from another century—it’s all so deliberate. This isn’t just a period piece; it’s a film that understands nostalgia as a kind of haunting in itself.
The story follows Mawar (Diandra Agatha), a young woman who falls for Alex (Yesaya Abraham), her first real boyfriend. Her friends—especially the sharp-tongued Vey (Shenina Cinnamon)—are skeptical from the start, and their suspicion only grows as Alex’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic. There’s a moment early on where Mawar and Alex slow-dance in a convenience store, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead, and it’s so achingly sweet that you almost forget this is a horror movie.
Almost. Because Suryadi has a knack for letting the dread creep in at the edges, like a shadow stretching just a little too long.
What makes Do You See What I See work, at least for a while, is its commitment to the mundane. The first act is less about jump scares and more about the quiet, creeping unease of female friendship. There’s a scene where Mawar’s friends gather in her room, picking at snacks and gossiping, and it’s so real that I found myself leaning in, as if I were part of the circle.
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsBehind the Scenes of Do You See What I See (2024): A Horror Revival with a Tragic Twist
Awi Suryadi’s Do You See What I See (2024) isn’t just another horror flick—it’s a throwback to the eerie, supernatural thrillers of the 1990s, blending tragic romance, friendship drama, and bone-chilling terror. The film, based on a Mizter Popo podcast 
, latestnetflix.com maintains, has already sparked conversations for its tense atmosphere and heartbreaking ending. But what’s the story behind its creation?
A Podcast Turned Nightmare
The movie’s origins trace back to Mizter Popo, a popular Indonesian podcast known for its horror storytelling. Do You See What I See adapts one of its episodes, First Love , into a full-length feature. The shift from audio to screen required Suryadi to expand the narrative, adding layers of friendship and betrayal to the supernatural core. The result? A film that Letterboxd users describe as "what tragic love stories could turn into" , with a manipulative ghost and a candy-coated horror aesthetic reminiscent of 90s pop culture .
The Cast: Rising Stars in a Dark Fairy Tale
The ensemble cast reads like a who’s who of Indonesia’s young talent. Shenina Cinnamon and Diandra Agatha lead as Mawar and her doomed love interest, while Yesaya Abraham, Sonia Alyssa, and Jessica Shaina round out the boarding house crew 
. The chemistry among the cast—particularly in scenes of camaraderie and terror—has been praised for grounding the supernatural elements in raw emotion .
Notably, the film marks a reunion for some actors. Shenina Cinnamon and Yesaya Abraham previously starred together in The Queen of Black Magic (2019), another horror hit, suggesting Suryadi’s knack for assembling tight-knit casts. Meanwhile, newcomers like Nyimas Ratu Rafa and Aqeela Dhiya bring fresh energy to the project .
The Ending That Broke Hearts
Spoilers ahead: Do You See What I See doesn’t shy away from tragedy. The climax, revealed through a suicide note, leaves Mawar’s friends shattered and the audience reeling . The ending’s bleakness has become a talking point, with critics and fans debating whether the supernatural horror or the emotional fallout is more devastating. High On Films called it a "tragic ending that shatters hope" , cementing the film’s reputation as more than just jump scares.
A Director’s Signature Style
Awi Suryadi’s fingerprints are all over Do You See What I See. Known for his atmospheric horror (The Doll, Danur), he leans into the 90s nostalgia here, from the film’s visuals to its themes of black magic and pop-culture references . The candy ghost—a standout villain—feels like a direct callback to the era’s love of playful yet sinister horror tropes.
Rumors suggest Suryadi pushed the cast to lean into the film’s emotional extremes, particularly in scenes of friendship and despair. While unconfirmed, the intensity of the performances hints at a director unafraid to blur the line between horror and heartbreak.
What’s Next?
With Do You See What I See already generating buzz, questions linger about Suryadi’s future projects. Will he return to the podcast-to-screen pipeline? Or will he double down on original horror? For now, the film stands as a testament to his ability to craft horror that lingers—both in the mind and the heart.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.