Jessica Mila
Alia
Overview
When her little sister claims she sees the dead, Alia consults a psychic, who opens her own eyes to the vengeful ghosts haunting their childhood home.
Cast
12 people
Reviews
4 min readThe Ghost in the Machine
I’ve seen this trick before—the little girl who sees the dead, the skeptical older sister, the house that breathes with something unseen. It’s a formula as old as The Innocents, as recent as The Conjuring. But formulas exist for a reason: they work.
Or at least, they can work. The Third Eye, Rocky Soraya’s 2017 Indonesian horror film, knows the moves. The question is whether it has anything new to say while making them.
The film follows Alia (Jessica Mila), a young woman who returns to her childhood home after her mother’s death. Her younger sister, Abel (Bianca Hello), claims to see spirits, but Alia dismisses it as grief—until she consults a psychic and realizes the house is haunted by something far worse than memory. The premise is familiar, but Soraya isn’t interested in reinventing the wheel.
He’s interested in making it spin faster.
What The Third Eye lacks in originality, it makes up for in atmosphere. The film’s strongest moments are the quiet ones—the way the camera lingers on empty corridors, the way the sound design amplifies the creak of a floorboard into something ominous. There’s a scene early on where Abel sits in the dark, whispering to an unseen presence.
The camera doesn’t cut away. It holds, and holds, and holds, until the audience is as unnerved as the characters. That’s the film’s real strength: patience.
Horror thrives on anticipation, and Soraya understands that.
But patience isn’t the same as depth. The film’s biggest flaw is its reluctance to dig beneath the surface. The ghosts here are malevolent, but they’re also generic—faceless entities that exist solely to jump out and scream.
Audience Opinions
Limited evidence
Audience 6.5/10
"A decent horror entry with strong atmosphere but predictable scares and uneven pacing."
Viewers appreciate the eerie atmosphere and some of the cast's performances, particularly Jessica Mila and Bianca Hello, which help sustain interest. latestnetflix.com's take is that however, the story feels formulaic, with jump scares and plot twists that fail to surprise, leaving the overall experience feeling underwhelming for seasoned horror fans.
What viewers praise
- Atmospheric tension The film effectively builds a creepy, unsettling mood that keeps viewers engaged.
- Strong lead performances Jessica Mila and Bianca Hello deliver compelling performances that anchor the film.
Common complaints
- Predictable scares The horror elements rely too heavily on clichéd jump scares and telegraphed twists.
- Uneven pacing The story drags in places, making some sequences feel sluggish and unengaging.
Recommended for
Indonesian horror fans Atmospheric thriller lovers Jessica Mila followers
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 The Third Eye (2017): Indonesia’s Horror Hit with Rocky Soraya at the Helm
The Third Eye (Mata Batin), the 2017 Indonesian horror film directed by Rocky Soraya, carved its niche in the local genre scene with a blend of supernatural scares and family drama. Starring Jessica Mila and Bianca Hello, the movie follows a young woman who inherits her late mother’s ability to see spirits—a gift that turns into a curse when malevolent forces target her family. latestnetflix.com's view is that while the film’s premise is familiar, its production and reception offer a few intriguing behind-the-scenes details worth digging into.
A Rocky Soraya Production with High Stakes
Rocky Soraya, a veteran of Indonesian horror, has built a reputation for churning out commercially successful but divisive films. The Third Eye was no exception. Soraya’s production house, Hitmaker Studios, has a track record of delivering crowd-pleasing horror, often with tight budgets and quick turnarounds. The film’s 108-minute runtime 
suggests a brisk shoot, though no official production timeline or budget has surfaced in the available evidence.
What is clear is Soraya’s knack for casting. Jessica Mila, then riding high on her breakout role in Danur (2017), brought star power to the project, while Bianca Hello—known for her work in Indonesian TV—added depth to the supporting cast. The ensemble also included Denny Sumargo, a former basketball player turned actor, whose physicality likely lent authenticity to the film’s more intense scenes .
Mixed Reception and a Cult Following
The Third Eye didn’t set the world on fire critically, but it found its audience. On SensCritique, the film holds a modest 4/10 rating based on 78 votes, with reviewers describing it as a solid but unremarkable entry in the horror genre . The lack of a Rotten Tomatoes score suggests limited international exposure, though its original title, Mata Batin, remains a recognizable brand in Indonesian horror circles.
The film’s spiritual themes—centered on the "third eye" concept —were likely a draw for local audiences, tapping into Southeast Asia’s rich folklore about supernatural perception. However, the evidence doesn’t reveal whether the filmmakers consulted cultural or religious experts to shape the story, leaving that aspect of the production shrouded in mystery.
Sequel Speculation and Legacy
While The Third Eye didn’t spawn an immediate franchise, its director returned with The Third Eye 2 (Mata Batin 2) in 2019 . The sequel, also helmed by Soraya, expanded the mythology but received an even lower rating (3.8/10) . Whether the original film’s lukewarm reception influenced the sequel’s development—or if it was simply a cash grab—remains unconfirmed.
One thing is certain: The Third Eye (2017) is a product of its time, reflecting Indonesia’s appetite for horror rooted in local beliefs. Its legacy is less about innovation and more about consistency—Soraya’s ability to deliver formulaic but entertaining scares.
The Unanswered Questions
For all its visibility, The Third Eye leaves several gaps in its behind-the-scenes story:
- Budget and schedule: No details on production costs or filming locations have surfaced in the available evidence.
- Cultural input: It’s unclear if the filmmakers collaborated with spiritual advisors to shape the "third eye" lore.
- Cast dynamics: While the leads are named, there’s no record of on-set chemistry or conflicts.
YTYouTube·THIRD EYE FULL TRAILER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dqv-Lfz9os- Marketing: The film’s promotional strategy—beyond its trailer —isn’t documented in the retrieved sources.
Until more details emerge, The Third Eye remains a solid, if unspectacular, entry in Indonesia’s horror canon.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.