Dosen Ghaib: Sudah Malam atau Sudah Tahu (2024) is a chilling and thought-provoking horror film that delves into obsession, guilt, and the supernatural. Bhakti, a rigid and disciplinarian lecturer, is obsessed with ensuring his daughter and students achieve perfection in their academic performance. But tragedy strikes when his daughter dies under mysterious circumstances, and rumors swirl that her death was a suicide driven by Bhakti’s relentless pressure.
A decade later, four psychology students, having failed their final exam, are forced to attend a short semester led by the notorious Bhakti. Fearful yet determined, they reluctantly show up for the course. During one tense lecture, Maya, one of the students, receives a cryptic message: Bhakti has been dead for years. Panic sets in as the students realize the man teaching them might not be a man but a ghost—and the past they thought they could ignore is about to confront them in terrifying ways.
This article contains spoilers.
Dosen Ghaib: It’s Nighttime or You Already Know (Dosen Ghaib: Sudah Malam atau Sudah Tahu, 2024) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
The film opens in Semarang in 2006. A few kids call out to Nisa to join them for a walk. However, Nisa is busy studying, and her father, Mr. Bhakti, is strict regarding Nisa’s education. Until Nisa completes her work, Nisa is not given food or water. When she tries to reason with Bhakti, he asks if she wants to be useless. Once Bhakti leaves, Nisa notices the door is open, so she sneaks out. A little while later, Bhakti enters Nisa’s room but cannot find his daughter. Suddenly, Nisa falls from the roof on the fence, killing herself instantly. In 2016, Semarang, Amelia, a.k.a Amel, is leaving for college. On campus, Maya is nervous because she has to take Bhakti’s class. The idea of attending Bhakti’s class creeps out Maya.
Along with Maya, Maya’s friends Fattah, Emir, and Amel have to attend Bhakti’s class. As Fattah, Emir, and Maya talk about Professor Bhakti, Bhakti approaches the trio and asks them to meet him in his cabin. Once Bhakti leaves, Maya tells the other two that Bhakti’s daughter killed herself because of Bhakti’s harsh teaching methods. Furthermore, Bhakti’s wife died in an accident, and because of that, Bhakti uses a walking stick. Soon, Amel comes to the campus, and the four of them visit Bhakti. Now, Bhakti is furious as these are the only four students who have failed his class in his entire career. Because of that, the four of them need to attend a short semester.
The Breaking Point: A Night of Fear and Revelation
At home, Maya gets fidgety because of pressure from her father to graduate on time, so Maya takes pills to calm herself down. Meanwhile, Bhakti is at the hospital picking up some medicines. On the way home, Bhakti drops a tiny teddy bear (Nisa’s teddy bear), which he always carries with him. When Bhakti steps in the middle of the road to pick it up, a truck hits him.
During this time, Fattah, Emir, Maya, and Emel have reached the classroom and are waiting for Mr. Bhakti to arrive. After waiting for almost an hour, the four of them decide to leave, but they suddenly hear Bhakti’s walking stick. So everyone takes their seats. When Bhakti writes on the board, Maya checks her phone. After reading the message, Maya is afraid. In the message, it says that Bhakti had died because of a hit-and-run case.
What Happens When the Ghost Won’t Let Go?
Immediately, Maya tells the others. Now, Fattah checks Bhakti’s reflection from a compact mirror and sees that Bhakti is floating. The first one to run away is Maya, who tries to make Mr. Zainal’s security understand that she has seen Bhakti’s ghost. Soon after, the others follow Maya. On Zainal’s suggestion, the friends reach Bhakti’s house and see his dead body.
Since Bhakti is dead, Mrs. Gita takes over the short semester. When the students tell Mrs. Gita about Bhakti’s ghost, she does not believe them. However, at night, Mrs. Gita hears and sees Bhakti asking Gita to leave his students alone. While trying to run from Bhakti, Gita falls down and is in a coma. Later, Maya and Amel try to find Bhakti’s family to inform them about Bhakti’s death. At that time, Maya leaves the room and sees Bhakti in the corridor. Afraid, Maya runs down the stairs but slips and falls.
What happens to Maya?
Soon, the other students and Amel help Maya. At the hospital, Maya suggests that they all pray for Gita and Bhakti. So they visit Mr. Syarif, who asks the students not to spread rumors around the campus, but Syarif agrees to pray with the group. By now, even at home, Maya starts to hear and see Bhakti, adding to her paranoia. During the prayer, the lights in the classroom start flickering. Once the prayer is over, Maya realizes they should not have left the classroom the day Bhakti died. Suddenly, from the speaker, Fattah, Amel, Maya, and Emir hear their names in Bhakti’s voice, asking them to study.
At home, Amel learns from her mother that people usually become ghosts if they have some unfinished business in the real world. After some deliberation, Amel speaks to one of Bhakti’s neighbors, who confirms that Nisa killed herself. In the hostel, Fattah sees Emir enter his room but does not think much of it until the lights go off, the door closes on its own and Emir is no longer there. Instead, Fattah can see the image of Bhakti from the other side of the window.
At the same time, Emir is haunted by Bhakti. Eventually, Fattah comes to Emir’s rescue. Meanwhile, Maya runs around in the corridor of her building, and she hears Bhakti pressuring Maya to study. When Maya closes her eyes and opens them, she sees Bhakti. In fear, Maya leans on the half wall, slips, and falls from a height. This leads to Maya’s immediate death.
Is Bhakti responsible for Nisa’s death?
Once Maya’s body is taken, Fattah, Emir, and Amel visit Maya’s room and find a sketch of Bhakti’s walking stick, which she had drawn. At the same time, the trio also discovered that Maya was depressed and was on medication. The trio now decides to visit Bhakti’s house to find clues, as the three of them are also haunted by Bhakti. At Bhakti’s house, Amel finds a notebook in which Nisa has written that she loves and hates her father.
To that, Bhakti also confesses hating himself. Suddenly, a gush of wind blows, taking Amel by surprise. Meanwhile, Fattah sees a creepy Amel and hides in fear. Outside, one of the older students arrives, telling the trio everything is in their heads. Mrs. Gita had developed PTSD after her husband’s death and Maya was depressed. Since all three of them are haunted, they ask the senior to leave if he is unwilling to help.
All three are haunted that night but try to be as calm as possible. On the campus, Fattah, Amel, and Emir decide to return to the class and make sure not to leave until the two-hour mark is up. However, upon seeing a scary Bhakti, Fattah runs out of the classroom. Now Amel gets a contact number for Bhakti’s mother, Mrs Nurjanah. Assuming this will solve Bhakti’s haunting, Amel and Emir leave the classroom to meet Mrs. Nurjanah. When they visit Mrs. Nurjanah, they learn that Bhakti is strict, so Nisa used to eat food sneakily. That particular day, when Nisa was on the roof, Nisa’s epilepsy took over, because of which she slipped and fell on the fence, killing herself instantly.
Dosen Ghaib: It’s Nighttime or You Already Know (Dosen Ghaib: Sudah Malam atau Sudah Tahu, 2024) Movie Ending Explained:
Can Understanding and Compassion Break the Cycle of Horror?
Now, Fattah is back in the classroom, tormented by Bhakti. Realizing Fattah is alone on the campus, Amel and Emir reach the classroom. There, Fattah chokes on an invisible rope; luckily, Emir and Amel save Fattah. The horror does not end as Emir cuts himself (Bhakti is making Emir cut himself), so Amel tries to save him. Bhakti uses his walking stick to kill Amel and Emir and Fattah fight.
Using an opportunity, Amel escapes and tries to stop Emir from hurting Fattah. But Emir pushes Amel, sending her flying outside the classroom. Now, Bhakti is out, so Amel uses the tiny teddy bear to convince Bhakti that she knows Nisa’s death wasn’t his fault. Furthermore, Amel also tells Bhakti that she understands that Bhakti was strict for the benefit of the students. After that, Bhakti calms down.
A scary-looking Bhakti becomes normal and smiles at Amel before leaving for the afterlife. In the afterlife, Nisa welcomes Bhakti. Soon, Mrs. Gita takes over Bhakti’s class. Amel also realizes that spirits need a lot of energy to penetrate this world. After graduation, Amel becomes a psychology lecturer herself. Unlike Bhakti, Amel ensures she is strict yet compassionate towards her students.
Balancing Pressure, Mental Health, and the Supernatural
After the incident, Emir and Amel start dating. During one of Amel’s lectures, Amel notices Bhakti at the classroom door. This time, Amel smiles, seeing Bhakti’s presence, and does not get scared. At the end of the film, newspaper articles express their view about banning killer lecturers as the mental well-being of students is important. Some news reports connect psychology and the paranormal. A story about a supernatural lecturer becomes popular among the netizens and is posted on social media.
The film’s conclusion ties into a viral story that gained traction on Twitter/X back in 2016/2017. The narrative mirrors the ghostly tale but uses the medium of film to explore a deeper message: the importance of balancing academic success with students’ mental well-being. While the theme is compelling, the execution struggles to fully convey its intended impact.
Can Academic Pressure Become a Real-Life Horror?
Through Maya’s character, we witness the devastating effects of unchecked academic pressure. Already grappling with mental health challenges, Maya’s situation worsens under the weight of a domineering father who prioritizes success above all else. When Maya fails a class and is forced to endure another authoritarian figure’s lectures, the mounting stress pushes her closer to breaking. The film also portrays the emotional aftermath for those left behind, as seen through Amel’s guilt and regret for not being able to save her friend. This element reflects the real-life anguish experienced by loved ones who bear the emotional scars of such tragedies.
In many parts of Asia, particularly Southeast Asia, the relentless demand for academic excellence can feel like a suffocating, real-life horror. Bhakti’s character embodies this collective pressure, serving as a chilling metaphor for the societal expectations that haunt students. While the concept resonates deeply, the film falters in fully translating its powerful message to the screen.
