‘Monster’ Review — Dialogue-free Indonesian horror movie runs out of steam

A review of the new thriller, on Netflix now

There’s a warning under the Monster logo on Netflix. “This Feature Does Not Contain Dialogue,” the streamer says. And it’s true… mostly. At first, Rako Prijanto’s Indonesian horror movie feels like an intriguing experiment. The movie opens with a car cruising slowly down a Jakartan street, passing children in school uniforms. When a boy and girl on a bicycle swerve in front of the driver (Alex Abbad), he fixates, following them down a side street to an Internet cafe.

Soon both children are tied up in his trunk.

When they reach a remote home out in the forest, Rabin (Sultan Hamonangan) is taken into the house, tied up, and photographed, screaming all the while. Alana (Anantya Kirana) is left behind in the car; she quickly escapes, but she only makes it a few steps down the driveway before deciding to go back for her friend. What unfurls is a cat-and-mouse game reminiscent of Shudder’s excellent The Boy Behind The Door, building excellent tension as Alana creeps around the home, trying to locate Rabin while avoiding the slovenly kidnapper.

Alana’s a resourceful kid, and Kirana’s performance is excellent. In fact, she and Hamonangan are almost too good. Movies like this —…