Primbon (2023) Ending Explained: Is Rana Actually Dead?

Directed by Rudi Soedjarwo, “Primbon” takes audiences on a thrilling journey, navigating the dilemma between disbelief and the mysterious realities lurking in the shadows. The film opens strongly, progressively adding multiple layers to the narrative. However, as the story unfolds, it appears that the thought process becomes somewhat lost within these layers. Despite the film concluding on a less satisfying note, the performances of Happy Salma and Chicco Kurniawan captivate the viewers. The remaining cast also deserves commendation for their dedicated portrayal of the film’s intricate elements. The disappointment lies in the way the climax is written. Given the promising start, it had the potential to reach the levels of “Qorin” or “Sijjin.” Spoilers Ahead.

Primbon (2023) Plot Summary and Movie Synopsis:

The film starts with Rana recording a clip with Janu to surprise her mother, Dini, on her birthday. She gets permission from her father to go to the forest with Janu. Soon, we see the villagers enter the forest the following day, screaming Rana’s name. Rana is not found for a day or two, so the rest of the family starts to think she is dead. A week later, when she has not returned home, the older people of the house decide to conduct the Tahlil rituals. However, the locals find it very suspicious how the family decides to do this ritual without finding the body first.

Nur, Ning, and Sri, the elder sisters to Banyu, Rana’s father, start discussing about putting a date of demise. While Dini aggressively shares her opinion about believing that Rana is still alive, Nur mentions the Primbon book. The book perhaps contains some numerology that decides people’s way of life, like marriage, death, etc. Nur says that according to the book, Rana was not supposed to go outside the house on that very day. But since Dini allows Rana to go, indirectly, they blame her for all of this. However, there’s a knock at the door right at that moment, and when Dini opens the door, she finds Rana standing there.

Is Rana possessed?

Seeing Rana standing outside the house, trembling in the cold under the rain, Dini and Banyu try to make her comfortable as soon as possible. However, Sri, Ning, and Nur start doubting her return. They relentlessly ask Banyu whether Rana is acting differently or not. Dini tries to talk to Rana, and to her, she seems very normal. However, Tari, Rana’s younger sister, starts noticing the odd behavior of her. She even tries to talk to Janu and asks him why he has not come to see her once after her return. In reply, Janu says that Rana’s return is not possible at all.

One day, Nur comes up with a plan and asks Ning to put a plate of fresh flowers under Rana’s bed. If the flowers wilt right away, it will prove that Rana is not human at all. When Ning puts the plate beneath Rana’s bed, Rana surprises her with a comb and asks her to braid her hair. Ning is left with no option. So, she starts braiding Rana’s hair and suddenly finds a hole in her skull.

The hole is completely rotten, and Ning runs away from there. Sri finds her and learns everything from her. Later we see Janu is being haunted by Rana’s ghost. Also, Ning and Sri are being haunted by evil spirits. One day, when Banyu shows some doubt, Rana acts very awkwardly in front of him. It is evident that Rana does not want anyone to doubt her existence, and whoever is showing that she is haunting them in every way possible.

What Events Lead to the Cleansing of Rana?

As time progresses, people around the village start talking about Rana’s existence. According to the Primbon book, it is said that when someone dies, they do not leave their house for 40 days. They start to believe that Rana is going through that phase only. Sri goes back to the house to collect the flowers and she sees that all the flowers died overnight. Sri, Nur, and Ning now do not have any doubt about Rana being the ghost of the house. They even find out that a cuckoo that used to sing around the house stopped singing right after Rana’s arrival from the forest.

Meanwhile, Banyu sees Rana bleeding from her nose and mouth out of nowhere. So, he decides to call in a doctor. The doctor fails to find any pulse in Rana, and while examining her throat, he sees a rotten face. The doctor runs away in fear saying that Rana has no problem at all. He does not want to do complex things that are already very much twisted. The sisters tell Banyu that they need to be very cautious about things that they do not understand. Dini, on the other hand, continues rejecting all the evidence out of motherly affection.

Tari, at last, finds enough evidence from Janu when he says that, basically, no one can survive inside the forest for a week. So, to help Rana, they need to do the cleansing ritual right away. Later that night, Rana visits the sisters and leaves with the impression that she is okay with any rituals they want to perform on her. So, the sisters come to Banyu’s house to deliver the news. There is a big fight between Ning and Dini about parenting and marriage. According to the Primbon book, the marriage between Banyu and Dini should never have happened. When this comes up, Dini loses her temper, and Ning slaps her. Anyway, Tari listens to all this from inside her house as she cuddles Rana, and in the mirror, she sees the rotten body of Rana.

Primbon (2023) Movie Ending Explained:

Is Rana actually Dead?

When the cleansing ritual starts, Tari and Janu go to the forest to find Rana’s dead body. In the middle of their search, Tari gets lost in the forest and finds Rana walking toward her. Rana hugs her, and when Janu arrives, she turns into a dead body. Meanwhile, in the forest, as the ritual reaches its final stages, Rana’s glow in her face is gone and she sees other ghosts coming from the forest. Dini and Banyu beg to stop the ritual as Rana is struggling very much. However, when they see Tari and Janu coming back with Rana’s dead body, the parents finally reject the belief that their daughter is still alive.

The most intriguing discussion this film has brought is that the ghost never tries to harm any human being. It feels like Rana has returned only to spend the time that she desires the most. She means no harm to Tari, Dini, or Banyu. Even the sisters wouldn’t have the problems if they believed that Rana was alive. It is the death’s craving for a small reunion with the living so that, in eternal sleep, it may reminiscence these moments of happiness.

But, since humans are so indulged in the book of Primbon and their own beliefs, they do not want ghosts living alongside them. Rudy Soedjarwa efficiently shows the age-old human nature of putting one’s opinion for the sake of the community onto others. The sisters forcefully manipulate the parents to do the cleansing ritual resulting in the loss of their daughter. It is true that no one should live with their grief. But who are we to decide? Grief is very personal, isn’t it?

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Primbon (2023) Movie Trailer

Primbon (2023) Movie Links: IMDb, MUBI
Cast: Happy Salma, Nugie, Flavio Zaviera
Genre: Drama, Horror | Runtime: 1h 28 Mins

Where to watch Primbon