The Act of Killing

2012 · 159 min · ID · NR · 7.7 (794 votes)

Dir. Joshua Oppenheimer · Starring Anwar Congo, Herman Koto, Syamsul Arifin, Ibrahim Sinik, Yapto Soerjosoemarno, Safit Pardede

“A story of killers who win and the society they build.”

DocumentaryHistory

After befriending documentarian Joshua Oppenheimer, former Indonesian death squad leaders reenact their real-life mass killings in the style of various American film genres. As they recreate their past atrocities, the line between reality and performance blurs, exposing the lingering impact of Indonesia's 1965-66 anti-communist purge and the unsettling psychology of its perpetrators.

VIBE

This is a profoundly disturbing and surreal journey into the minds of unrepentant killers, where the lines between performance and reality blur. It's a chilling exploration of historical trauma, impunity, and the human capacity for self-deception, leaving a lasting, unsettling impression.

disturbingunsettlingchillingprovocativesurrealtragicslow-burnexperimental documentarymeta-commentaryunflinching realismpsychological horrorimpunityhistorical traumamemoryperformancethe nature of evil