Risa Saraswati
Risa
Overview
When a woman becomes possessed by an evil spirit, a team of horror-mystery journalists goes to the village that the spirit came from to try to free her.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
5 min readThe Uncanny Valley of Belief
I’ve always been drawn to horror that doesn’t just scare me—it makes me question why I’m scared in the first place. Jurnal Risa by Risa Saraswati (2024) lands squarely in that unsettling space, where the line between fiction and something darker isn’t just blurred—it’s deliberately erased. The film follows Risa Saraswati and her team of paranormal investigators as they document a possession case tied to a malevolent entity named Samex, a figure already infamous among fans of Risa’s YouTube series.
But here’s the catch: this isn’t just another episode of her show. It’s a scripted horror film masquerading as found footage, and the tension between those two realities is what makes it so fascinating—and so frustrating.
The film’s greatest strength is its commitment to the mockumentary format. The shaky cam, the awkward interviews, the way the team stumbles through explanations of what they’re witnessing—it all feels uncomfortably real. There’s a moment early on where Prinsa Mandagie, playing a possessed woman, begins speaking in a voice that isn’t hers.
The camera lingers on her face, her eyes wide and unblinking, and for a second, you forget this is a performance. That’s the power of the found-footage style: it doesn’t just show you horror; it makes you complicit in it. You’re not just watching a story unfold; you’re part of the investigation, and that intimacy is what makes the scares hit harder.
But here’s where Jurnal Risa stumbles. The film’s technical polish betrays its own illusion. The lighting is too controlled, the sound design too precise.
In a true mockumentary, you’d expect rough edges—grainy footage, muffled audio, the occasional boom mic dipping into frame. Here, the cinematography is slick, almost cinematic, and that disconnect pulls you out of the experience. It’s as if the film can’t decide whether it wants to be a raw documentary or a traditional horror movie, and it ends up feeling like neither.
Full Plot (Spoilers)
Spoiler warning
This section contains the full plot, including major story reveals. Overview above stays spoiler-free.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsInside Jurnal Risa by Risa Saraswati: The Horror Docu-Thriller Blurring Fact and Fear
Risa Saraswati’s name is synonymous with Indonesia’s supernatural scene—her real-life paranormal investigations have spawned books, TV shows, and now a feature film. latestnetflix.com's view is that Jurnal Risa by Risa Saraswati (2024), directed by horror veteran Rizal Mantovani, promises to drag audiences into her eerie world, but this time with a twist: the line between documentary and fiction is deliberately hazy.
A Star Turns Subject
Risa Saraswati, the film’s lead and namesake, isn’t just acting—she’s playing a version of herself. Known for her alleged ability to communicate with spirits, Risa’s public persona is built on chilling encounters, and Jurnal Risa leans hard into that reputation. The film follows a team of horror journalists (including Prinsa Mandagie and Ranggana Purwana) as they investigate a possession case tied to a remote village 
. The premise mirrors Risa’s real-life Jurnal Risa series, where she documents supernatural phenomena, but Mantovani’s direction suggests a darker, more cinematic approach.
Mantovani, whose filmography includes Kuntilanak (2018) and Danur (2017), is no stranger to blending folklore with found-footage horror. Jurnal Risa reportedly adopts a "documentary-style" aesthetic, complete with shaky cam and raw interviews, to sell its authenticity . Whether this is a narrative choice or an attempt to capitalize on Risa’s existing fanbase remains unclear, but the Netflix release (per ) positions it as a must-watch for horror enthusiasts craving something "real."
The Cast: Familiar Faces in Unfamiliar Territory
Beyond Risa, the ensemble includes Prinsa Mandagie, a rising star in Indonesian horror (KKN di Desa Penari), and Ranggana Purwana, a veteran of supernatural thrillers. Their involvement suggests a deliberate mix of fresh and familiar talent, but details about their roles are scarce. The IMDb and TMDB listings confirm the full cast, but snippets don’t reveal who’s playing the possessed woman or the journalists racing to save her 
.
One standout is Nicko Irham, a comedian-turned-actor who’s been expanding into horror. His inclusion hints at potential comic relief—a rarity in Indonesia’s often grim supernatural films. Whether his role is pivotal or peripheral isn’t specified, but his presence could signal an attempt to balance terror with levity.
Behind the Scenes: Fact, Fiction, or Marketing?
The film’s biggest question is how much of Jurnal Risa is real. Risa’s paranormal claims have long been a subject of debate in Indonesia, and this project walks a fine line. The Wikipedia entry describes it as a "horror documentary thriller," a genre-blurring label that could mean anything from reenacted events to scripted fiction . The Letterboxd and TMDB summaries both frame the plot as a team investigating a possession, but neither confirms whether the footage is staged or "found" .
Netflix’s involvement adds another layer. The streaming giant has a history of promoting Indonesian horror (The Night Comes for Us, May the Devil Take You), but Jurnal Risa’s short runtime (implied by ) suggests a lean, bingeable experience—perhaps designed to ride the wave of true-crime and paranormal docuseries popularity. If the film leans into Risa’s existing fanbase, it could become a viral hit—or a lightning rod for skeptics.
What’s Next?
With no official trailer or release date beyond 2024, Jurnal Risa remains shrouded in mystery. Will it deliver scares, or will it feel like an extended episode of Risa’s TV show? The answer may depend on how much Mantovani’s direction elevates the material beyond its documentary roots.
One thing’s certain: Risa Saraswati’s name alone guarantees buzz. Whether that translates to box-office success or just another footnote in Indonesia’s crowded horror scene is the real haunting question.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.