Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts

In the deserted hills of an Indonesian island, Marlina, a young widow, is attacked and robbed for her cattle. To defend herself, she kills several men of the gang. Seeking justice, she goes on a journey for empowerment and redemption. But the road is long, especially when the ghost of her headless victim begins to haunt her.

A thoroughly enjoyable, visually ravishing feminist Western played out in the widescreen vistas of rural Indonesia, Marlina The Murderer In Four Acts weaves basic elements into a tale worth telling splendidly accompanied by a sit-up-and-take-notice musical score. —Screen Daily

Surya seems to have the makings for a kind of feminist Western here, with Marlina fleeing across the sun-baked landscape, on horseback at one point. She is, like so many classic gunslingers, a killer by circumstance, a desperado with an honourable cause.—Michael Sicinski, Cinema Scope

At once an enjoyable genre ride and a feminist arthouse story, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts might send some heads rolling but has its own head firmly on its shoulders.—Boyd van Hoeij, Hollywood Reporter

A revenge fantasy rooted in Indonesia’s gender conditions, complex regional culture and the stark beauty of its landscapes. At once tightly controlled and simmering with righteous fury, it’s gorgeously lensed, atmospherically scored and moves inexorably toward a gratifying payoff— Maggie Lee, Variety

“SPARE, STUNNING… In this Indonesian neo-spaghetti western, Marlina discovers that entrenched patriarchal power structures aren’t easy to topple… With a Morricone-inspired score, gorgeous cinematography that screams to be witnessed on a big screen, and bleak humor, this film’s tightly executed, meticulously controlled surface BARELY CONTAINS THE SEETHING FURY WITHIN.” —Brent McKnight, The Seattle Times

“ASTONISHING; INTOXICATING​… THE DARK, WRY, FEMINIST NEO-WESTERN TARANTINO ONLY WISHES HE CREATED… Begins with a sequence that will bring jaded grindhouse patrons to their feet, and then Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts blazes its own trail from there, incorporating some potent feminist themes along the way… ​With a director that knows when to pause for a languid long shot and when to slam forward into nastiness. Once heard, the soundtrack’s blending of traditional Indonesian folk songs and Ennio Morricone’s electric coyote yelps will never leave your head.” —Andrew Wright, The Stranger