Year: 2018
Runtime: 110 min
Language: Indonesian
Director: Timo Tjahjanto
A young woman investigates her father’s deteriorating health and the history of his long-abandoned villa. She discovers a disturbing past connected to the house, revealing a legacy of dark secrets and a terrifying evil that puts her and her father in grave danger. The investigation uncovers a malevolent force determined to claim them both.
Warning: spoilers below!
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Read the complete plot breakdown of May the Devil Take You (2018), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Lesmana Wijaya finds himself ensnared in a dark pact to attain riches, setting off a chain of events that unfurls through newspaper clippings chronicling his ominous ascent to fame. Amidst this, the tragic suicide of his first wife, Intan, and his subsequent marriage to the retired actress Laksmi lead him down a path toward inevitable bankruptcy. His estranged daughter, Alfie, grapples with deep resentment towards her father for marrying Laksmi, despite holding no animosity towards her step-siblings, Ruben, Maya, and Nara.
After years of separation, Alfie receives startling news that Lesmana has been hospitalized, stricken by a strange and terrifying illness that has left him in a coma. During her time at the hospital, she learns that Laksmi intends to scavenge through their dilapidated family villa for hidden treasures, leading Alfie to experience mysterious supernatural occurrences.
In a critical moment, Ruben reluctantly opens a sealed basement door at their mother’s urging, expecting to uncover hidden valuables. What he unleashes, however, is a malevolent supernatural force that simultaneously afflicts Lesmana and overtakes Laksmi, forcing her to turn violently against Maya. In a desperate attempt to secure medical assistance for her sister, Alfie’s efforts fail, resulting in a frantic Maya fleeing into the foreboding woods. In an intense confrontation, Maya overcomes her mother’s sinister influence but ultimately succumbs to the overwhelming presence and becomes a vessel for evil.
As Maya spirals further into darkness, she gruesomely murders Ruben’s girlfriend, Lily, who had come to help him, while Alfie and Ruben uncover the horrific truth behind Lesmana’s wealth—the sacrifices of innocent souls. Alfie’s memories resurface, revealing that her mother’s death was not a suicide but a consequence of Lesmana’s demonic bargain. The dark presence continues to wreak havoc, tormenting Alfie, Ruben, and Nara.
Maya’s return to the villa leads her to a chilling discovery—a collection of dolls crafted from the hair of each family member, moments before the malevolent being tempts her with the prospect of becoming a satanic priestess. Fully under its control, Maya violently turns against her siblings, urging Ruben to join her in their malevolent fate. His refusal results in a horrific act as she dismembers a doll made of his hair, symbolizing her betrayal. Meanwhile, Alfie, trapped in despair, glimpses the horrifying betrayal of her father as he murders the satanic priestess.
In a climactic moment, as chaos unfolds, she attempts to reach out to Maya but is met with mocking cruelty as the priestess declares Maya’s complete subjugation to her will. Determined to fight back, Alfie destroys Maya’s doll in flames—an act that leads to Maya’s tragic end. Seeking vengeance, Alfie digs up the priestess’s corpse to incinerate the portion of Lesmana’s hair she ingested. This act brings forth a sudden encounter with the priestess, who drags Alfie into the depths of darkness.
Emerging in a mud-filled pit, Alfie struggles for her freedom, only to find hope in the apparition of her mother’s hand. As she grasps for survival, realizing the truth of Nara’s sacrifice, they both escape the terrifying clutches of the villa, which now looms ominously with its secrets. As they leave, the camera lingers on the haunted interior, casting shadows over the once-familiar spaces, especially the dark, foreboding doorway of the basement, hinting that the horrors may not yet be over.
Last Updated: November 08, 2024 at 00:07
Still wondering what the ending of May the Devil Take You (2018) really means? Here’s a spoiler-heavy breakdown of the final scene, major twists, and the deeper themes that shape the film’s conclusion.
In the film’s conclusion, Alfie manages to break the demonic curse that has haunted her family. Throughout the story, it is revealed that her father, Lesmana, made a pact with a demonic priestess in exchange for wealth, which ultimately cost him his first wife’s life. The priestess’s spirit was trapped in a basement, but Lesmana, fearing her wrath, sealed her there with runes. However, when Alfie’s family unwittingly unseals the room, the priestess is freed and quickly kills Lesmana, completing her revenge. As possession spreads, the family members become possessed themselves—Alfie’s evil stepmother, her stepsister Maya, and others falling under demonic control.
The climax takes place in the villa’s basement, where Maya is torturing Alfie with a voodoo doll linked to her family. Alfie manages to destroy the doll by throwing it into the fire, which causes Maya to burst into flames. Facing imminent doom, Alfie then performs a final, sacrificial act to break the curse: she digs up the priestess’s body and, echoing scenes from Drag Me to Hell, she pulls Lesmana’s hair from the corpse and burns it. This act symbolically releases the demonic hold on her family once and for all.
In the end, Alfie and her youngest step-sibling Nara survive the night, leaving the villa together. However, their survival is tinged with unease, as the story hints that the demonic forces are not entirely defeated—they could return. Their return suggests that the curse is far from over, and that Alfie’s ordeal may have only just begun again someday. The film closes on a note of lingering darkness, emphasizing that some evil cannot be fully eradicated.
Last Updated: June 25, 2025 at 08:58
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