27/22
Lela, a funeral home owner, struggles to uncover the truth behind her mother’s mysterious deaths while haunted by ghosts and burdened by unspoken secrets. Lela works with Siti’s mother as a body washer before burials. Lela is not happy to continue in the family business while her brother has taken on another job. When Siti’s friend dies mysteriously, she is concerned. Then Siti’s death shakes Lela to the point where she realizes that these mysterious deaths were in fact murders. When she decides to investigate, another woman dies, all of whom are part of her mother’s group of friends. As the families refuse to intervene, Lela takes it upon herself to gather evidence to prove that these deaths were murders and put an end to it. Whether she can save the village is the rest of the story. The film’s main strength lies in the way it uses its female characters, and a key moment in the film is the gossip they spread, which immediately elevates the story to a higher level. The supernatural aside, the narrative is kept grounded with the occasional jump scare, and keeping the police at bay seemed deliberate. The performances were good enough, and I wish there had been more of these women. The flashbacks are only brief, and we never get the full story of Nur. It probably would have made the film more generic with a good vs. evil plot, but at least it would have answered the main question instead of leaving it unanswered. The Corpse Washer is a decent film to watch, aided by the good acting of the lead actress.