Love is a beautiful thing, isn’t it? It makes you go all out for someone, travel the world, and do whatever it takes to keep them safe. But sometimes love can trouble you, like a fishbone caught in your throat, especially when you’re stuck with the wrong person. That’s exactly what happens in the Indonesian film “Do You See What I See,” written and directed by Awi Suryadi.
The story centers on Mawar, a young woman whose quiet, easygoing life is thrown into absolute chaos when she falls for someone she probably shouldn’t have. At the start of the film, we are taken to a graveyard where a man digs out a corpse and performs some ritual with it, eventually waking up the corpse. At first, we don’t make anything out of it, but it is obvious that this will be a critical event in the film.
Do You See What I See (2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Who is Mawar?
Mawar, the protagonist in “Do You See What I See,” is a young woman in her early twenties juggling her studies and hanging out with her two besties. On the outside, it seems like she’s living her best life, but if you dig a little deeper, it’s clear she’s battling loneliness. Ever since her parents passed away years ago, her two friends are all she’s got.
While her friends are happily paired up, Mawar is single and quietly craving someone to love her and be there for her. Every year, on her birthday, she visits her parents’ gravesite, not just to pay her respects but also to chase away that feeling of being alone. During one such visit, Mawar wishes to have a boyfriend who’ll love her with all his might and make sure no tears roll down her eyes ever again.
How Does Mewar’s Behavior Change?
After her annual visit to her parents’ graves, Mawar returns with this sly grin and a bit of shyness that her friends, Kartika and Vey, quickly pick up on. They’re convinced she’s met someone, and Mawar doesn’t deny it. Kartika and Vey are over the moon for her, but soon, things start getting weird. They notice Mawar zoning out more and more, almost like she’s somewhere else. On top of that, they start getting creepy phone calls, but strangely enough, Mawar’s the only one who can hear them. One night, they even catch her sleepwalking, like she’s being controlled by something they can’t see.
A few days later, Mawar’s behavior changes drastically. This is odd, considering everyone knows her as the sweet, polite type. She suddenly stops going to college and shuts down all social plans with her friends. Kartika and Ley even hear her talking to someone in her room, but it’s always empty whenever they check.
Things get even spookier when a call comes in during Kartika’s radio show, revealing that Mawar’s mystery boyfriend is someone named Restu—and that Mawar made some kind of deal with him. Suspicious, Kartika and Ley do a little digging and find out there are three people with the name “Restu” at their college—two current students and one who dropped out three years ago.
What has attached herself to Mawar?
Concerned about Mawar’s odd behavior, Ley talks with Professor Lina, telling her how things shifted right after Mawar visited her parents’ grave. While Lina doesn’t think much of it initially, she suggests Ley keep an eye out for a wooden box at Mawar’s house. Apparently, there’s a chance spirits might have latched onto her, explaining her sudden personality change. Ley sneaks into Mawar’s room when she’s out and finds the wooden box Lina mentioned. When she confronts Mawar, warning her to stay away from Restu, Mawar snaps, telling her to mind her own business.
Later, when Ley takes the box to Lina, it’s confirmed that Mawar’s been attached to a spirit. Kartika and Ley ask Mawar to introduce them to her boyfriend, Restu, but she shuts them down. It’s clear by now that Restu has a tight grip on her and won’t let go until their deal is done. Lina tries an exorcism, using threads, a shroud, and some herbal leaves to break Restu’s hold on Mawar.
For a brief moment, it works, and Mawar is herself again, but before they can even celebrate, she vanishes without a trace. Mel, Mawar’s sister, returns from the States and is told that Mawar is in love with a devil who will not leave Mawar until he gets what he wants. Lina is sure that somehow the demon is connected to Mawar’s life and must have taken Mawar to her ancestral house.
Do You See What I See (2024) Movie Ending Explained:
How Does Ley, Kartika, and Lina Save Mawar?
The group heads to Mawar’s parents’ old house and stumbles upon a hidden room behind a cupboard. Inside, they find a decayed corpse, torn-up papers, and a handful of clues suggesting a ritual was performed here years ago. The same room we saw at the film’s start, where a man—likely Mawar’s father—was conducting a ritual for wealth and prosperity.
In exchange, the spirit from the corpse attaches itself to one family member for a thousand years. The only way to break the curse is to return the corpse to its original grave—the same one where Mawar’s parents are now buried. Restu, or the demon, now plans to bury Mawar in his grave and take her place in the world.
The group rushes to save Mawar and finally breaks the demon’s (Restu’s) grip on her. Soon enough, everything returns to normal. Mawar is her old, bubbly, kind-hearted self again. She apologizes for putting her friends through such a rough time and vows to make it up to them. Meanwhile, Ley decides to take control of her own life, too, breaking up with her boyfriend after finding out he’s been cheating on her with other women.
What Happens to Mawar?
We were under the impression that everything had returned to normal and the friends wouldn’t have to go through any more trouble. But things change soon after. Towards the end of “Do You See What I See,” Vey finds a suicide note from Mawar in her room. In the letter, Mawar thanks her friends for being there with her through thick and thin and not leaving her side. Mawar also cites that even though Restu was a demon, the love she felt for him was real, and now, when Restu is gone, she can no longer find meaning in life. Vey and others break open the doors to Mawar’s room, but it is already too late as Mawar has hanged herself.
