37/15
Mortician Lela struggles to uncover the truth behind her mother’s mysterious death as she is haunted by spirits and weighed down by untold secrets. Before the funeral, Lela works as a mortician alongside her mother Siti. Lela is not happy to continue in this family profession while her brother has taken up another job. When Siti’s friend mysteriously dies, she is disturbed. Siti’s death follows, shocking Lela and she realises that these mysterious deaths were actually murders. When she decides to investigate, another lady dies and they all belong to her mother’s group of friends. As the families refuse to let the police intervene, Lela sets out to gather clear evidence to prove these deaths are murders and put an end to her. Will she be able to save the village, shapes the rest of the story. The film’s main strength lies in its use of female characters, and a key moment in the film is the gossip they spread, which instantly elevates the story. The supernatural angle aside, the narrative is based on occasional jump scares, and the police’s lack of restraint seemed deliberate. The performances were good enough and I wish there were more of these women. The flashback is only brief and we never fully learn Noor’s story. It probably would have made the film more generic with a good versus evil angle, but at least it would have answered a major question rather than leaving it unanswered. Corpse Washer is a decent watch, helped along by a good performance from the lead actress.