This is one of those rare experiences in which the creative mind is boggled. The audience feels all the shifts of someonestruggling with writer’s block. At the same time, they are faced with all the terror that arise. The Draft! is part of Fantastic Festand perfectly blends comedy and horror in a flick that is fantastic! Directed by Yusron Fuadi, the film is set in Indonesia, a primitive setting where the scares are abundant in the writer’s mind.

The story takes place in a forest on a weekend getaway. There are five characters taking part in the adventure. They are Iwan (played Adhin Abdul Hakim), Wati (played by Anastasia Herzigova), Ani (played by Putri Anggie), Budi (played by Haydar Salishz), and Amir (played by Winner Wijaya). They are all staying in one getaway cabin that has some historic value. However, the characterizations and personalities begin to shift. Some of the characters begin to start injuring themselves andtalking strangely. When this happens, the film transitions back to its screenwriter occasionally. The switching between scenes of the getaway and the screenwriter is a reference to the movie’s title and plot.

The forest where the cabin is located puts everyone out in the open with no signal for calls, no signs, and no one in sight. The characters even talk like the danger they face is in a horror film. Ironically, they are, but the interesting part is the fact that thewriter is trying to put the pieces together along with the characters he created. This movie is a two-sided adventure of comedy and horror where the elements shift repeatedly in a fascinating matter. It is a classy film due to the many assumptions it raises. How dangerous is the situation in the cabin’s setting? Who has the worse writer’s block? The writer or the characters? The Draft! is an imaginative thriller from themind of the imaginative writer.

The movie is sparky with misdirection and blind corners which create a recipe for a mesmerizing resolution. What makes theterror effective is how grotesque scenes are highlighted forshock and entertainment value. The film’s screenwriting causes its audience to think. The thoughts generated are in tune with the parts of the film that include many horrific moments in The Draft!

The Draft! is a bit like Shaun of the Dead (2004) meets Parasite (2019). It is a tale where horror explores its roots and turns out to be more comedic than disturbing due to a clever case of poetic writing. Creativity emerges slowly and densely in The Draft! Three out of four stars.