Directed by Dain Said, ‘Blood Flower’ (Original title: Harum Malam) is a Malaysian supernatural horror film streaming on Shudder. The screenplay, written by Dain Said, Ben Omar, and Nandita Solomon, follows young apprentice healer Iqbal, who goes through a series of horrifying experiences. When he decides to use his supernatural abilities, he ends up realizing some dark secrets about his loved ones.
The film presents a blend of fantasy and mystery thriller through its gore horror drama. Starring Idan Aedan in the lead role, the film also includes Bront Palarae, Nadiya Nissa, Remy Ishak, Eriza Allya, Nabila Huda, Amanda Ang, Pearlly Chua, Joey Daud, and Faizal Hussain in its cast.
*Spoilers ahead*
Blood Flower (2023) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
What is the Malaysian film ‘Blood Flower’ about?
Dain Said’s ‘Blood Flower’ (Harun Malam) is about a teenager – Iqbal (Idan Aedan)- struggling to connect with his friends. He is an apprentice faith healer who can see demons and spirits like his mother, Dina (Nadiya Nissa). They both can heal the possessed bodies through exorcism. However, Iqbal hides these supernatural abilities so that he can fit in with his friends. One day, he is supposed to go to a house with Dina and his father, Norman (Bront Palarae), for their work. But he has a bad feeling about it. So, he tries to stop them from entering the house. However, his parents choose to walk in anyway.
Diana’s Death
While performing the exorcism on a young girl, Dina ends up losing her life. Although it is not his fault, Iqbal keeps blaming himself for her death. He firmly believes they should not have entered that house. Because of this trauma, Iqbal wishes to disown his abilities and be a normal kid. Norman returns to his duties as a masseuse for his neighbor, Jamil (Remy Ishak). During his session, Jamil learns about Dina’s death. To help Norman with his financial difficulties, Jamil offers him another job. Norman is supposed to keep a watch on Jamil’s greenhouse, filled with all sorts of plants from across the globe. However, he insists Norman should not open a particular door inside the greenhouse. Jamil says the room is empty.
The Mysterious Room
We also meet Jamil’s younger daughter – Nurul / Ah Boy( Arnie Shasha). Nurul’s older sister – Farah, had disappeared years ago. Her mother – Anna (Amanda Ang), still cannot get over that trauma. However, Nurul says she has grown a thick skin over the years. Despite his insults, we see her stop Uncle Rahim (Joey Daud) from his hooliganism. Later, Iqbal brings Nurul, his sister – Ilya (Angelica Petra), and two friends – Ali & Bob, to the greenhouse. Even though Jamil is her father, Ah Boy knows hardly anything about his business. Ali & Bob decide to open a door that Jamil had specifically asked not to. They take out a paper in front of the door, which directly opens the door.
While Ali & Bob run away, Iqbal enters the room with Ah Boy to find blood dripping down from a nail on the wall. They also see a strange creature creeping up on them, i.e., the demon wakes up. So, Iqbal immediately brings Ah Boy outside and leaves the room. After this incident, Iqbal keeps getting increasingly restless. So, he decides to relieve his son from his supernatural abilities to reduce the burden of those dreadful visions. However, others start seeing traces of that demon, including Ah Boy’s grandmother, Popo (Pearlly Chua). He keeps sensing the presence of beings & spirits around him. Because of her demons, Popo also dies by suicide.
A still from Blood Flower (2023).The Deaths
After Popo’s funeral, Iqbal and his friends discuss the strange aftereffects of their opening that door in Jamil’s greenhouse. Iqbal enters it again to hold the mantra paper lying on the ground. But it keeps slipping away from him. Ah Boy suddenly shouts after seeing a boy lying dead. Norman lies to the police to save his son from any implications. The police tried to contact the greenhouse owner, Jamil, over a call. But, despite their repeated attempts, they fail. Iqbal feels that an evil spirit was released after Ali & Bob released the mantra paper. He informs his father about it. While Norman cannot understand it, Iqbal senses the danger. In his visions, he senses that Ah Boy is going to die. Ah Boy asks him to save her in case something like that happens.
Blood Flower
Later, in the greenhouse, the police find Ali & Bob dead. They also notice a specimen that looks like a human jawbone. Meanwhile, Iqbal and Ilya go for a meal at Ah Boy’s place. That’s where they sense the presence of Ah Boy’s older sister with the demon behind her. It approaches Ah Boy and tries to take her life. It leaves her scarred & beyond traumatized. Iqbal returns to the greenhouse to find a pattern of blood dripping down an peculiar flower. He enters the room to realize that it is a similar pattern on the wall. The police suspect Norman and Rahim are behind the children’s mysterious deaths.
The Possession
Iqbal and Ilya hear some terrifying voices in Norman’s house. They enter a room to find Ah Boy trying to force-feed her mother. Norman deduces that a demon possesses Ah Boy. With Iqbal’s help, he tries to help Ah Boy to not be under the spell. But it does not heal her. Iqbal feels he should have his supernatural abilities to help her through this difficult time. Meanwhile, the possessed Ah Boy keeps hurting others and asking to speak with her father, Jamil. They keep trying to save Ah Boy from the possession of a terrifying demon.
Blood Flower (2023) Movie Ending Explained:
Iqbal figures it because of the demon inside the room – Hantu Raya. The flower inside the room is a blood flower associated with it. Since this demon needs a master, he concocts a plan. The possessed Ah Boy goes out and stabs Norman in the chest. Iqbal eventually saves Ah Boy from the demon’s presence in her body and engulfs something to fight with it. He plans to lock the demon and block its passageway to the real world by doing that. He starts crawling like an animal and approaches the blood flower in the greenhouse.
The possessed Iqbal starts digging into a wall in the confidential room. Inside, this Satan finds a crumbled-up piece of paper. Norman demands that Satan rescue his son. He fights with this creature who says he just wants to take care of them. This creature calls Norman weak for letting his wife die and now, probably also his son – to hurt his ego. Eventually, Iqbal gets healed from the demon’s presence. Turns out, Hantu Raya came to Jamil’s house through the blood flower he brought from Sumatra. It was Farah who wanted to return to Jamil’s house, who was speaking through Ah Boy’s possessed body.
At the end of Blood Flower, we learn that the reason for Jamil’s separation from his family is his monstrous sexual relationship with his own daughter – Farah. He let her condition worsen when she got pregnant and kept her hidden inside a room instead of taking her to a hospital. At the time, he realized that a spirit was living inside her body. This is because Hantu Raya needed a master; it considered Farah as one.
So he got overly suspicious and stabbed through her body. He ripped apart the infant and placed it in the wall (the one with dripping blood). Jamil returned home from his trip to realize that his malicious truth was out. Eventually, he received an ill fate. On the other hand, Iqbal embraced his powers and continued working to help others.
Read More: Everything Coming to AMC Networks (AMC+, Shudder, Acorn TV, Sundance Now, ALLBLK, HIDIVE) in September 2023
Blood Flower (2023) Movie Trailer
Blood Flower (2023) Movie Links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes
Blood Flower (2023) Movie Cast: Idan Aedan, Bront Palarae, Remy Ishak
Where to watch Blood Flower
