Hello Ghost Review (2023)

After the successful remake of the film Miracle in Cell No. 7 And FireworkFalcon Pictures is back to making a Korean remake film titled HelloGhosts. Previously, HelloGhosts It was indeed announced at the Falcon Pictures Showcase event in mid-2022 along with six other Falcon films and was scheduled to be released on October 22, 2022, but in the end it pushed back the release date to May 11, 2023.

Perhaps many viewers or film fans in Indonesia are familiar with film titles HelloGhosts. This Korean comedy horror film earned the 9th highest grossing in 2010 with a total of 19.7 million US dollars, and won several awards in 2011.

This remake film will star several actors and actresses who are familiar to Indonesian film fans. There is Onadio Leonardo as Kresna who will be the main character in this film, Indro Warkop, Tora Sudiro, Hesti Purwadinata, and Ciara Nadine Brosnan who will become ghosts in Kresna’s life, and Enzy Storia.

Hello Ghost Synopsis

Kresna (Onadio Leonardo), a man who feels lonely in life, commits suicide on various occasions. However, the suicide missions always failed, and when he was hospitalized, Kresna was followed by four ghosts with different characters. There is a grandfather, a father, a mother, and a daughter.

At the hospital he is treated by Linda (Enzy Storia), a nurse at the hospital, who happened to save himself when he was about to commit suicide. Linda was also taking care of her father who was seriously ill there, but his father always made it difficult for him, because he always left the treatment room and instead played cards and drank with his friends.

The four ghosts then follow Kresna wherever he goes and will really go if Kresna fulfills their respective requests. Kresna also angrily tries to fulfill one by one the strange wishes of the four ghosts. The ghost of grandfather/Kuatno (Indro Warkop) wants to find his missing classic radio, the ghost of his father/Bima wants to find the old bus that he was taking and was swimming on the beach, the ghost of mother/Lita wants to be accompanied by him shopping and cooking and eating together, and the ghost of a daughter /Chika wants to accompany her to play roller skates and eat cotton candy.

While trying to get close to Linda, whom he has liked since being treated, he tries to fulfill the demands of the four ghosts that are hard for him. However, her bad relationship with her father (Egy Fedly) made her emotional when her father asked her to marry Kresna before he died, and started to stay away from Kresna.

However, after her father died and left a message through Kresna, Linda and Kresna’s relationship gradually recovered, and when the two of them had lunch together, Linda’s words made her realize something about the whereabouts of the four ghosts and who they really were.

A film adaptation that is very close to the original

The essence of the story in the remake version HelloGhosts this is very close to the original. Of course with an original Indonesian cultural approach, and changes in several characters. For example, the female ghost character replaces the male ghost in the Korean version, or the character of the mother who is an apartment tenant played by Yurike Prastika, previously this character was played by fathers and the Indonesian version of the non-sexist role was much more entertaining.

Several other elements have also changed, such as the taxi in the Korean version, being replaced by the angkot that the ghost of the father wants. The radio replaces the camera that grandpa’s ghost wants, and cotton candy replaces bbop-ki (maple syrup candy shaped like a large fish and is usually obtained as a gift), and kimbap replaces croquettes cooked by ghost mother/Lita.

This Indonesian-style approach turns out to be very smooth and even blends in through the main narrative, which doesn’t even change at all. Indeed, the Korean version is more complicated because there are several supporting layers outside of the main character, but in the Indonesian version, this layer is removed, but fortunately there are no significant changes in the structure of the story.

Acting and color tones now tend to be dark

From an acting standpoint, Cineverse had doubted Onadio Leonardo’s acting in the role of Kresna, but in fact he was able to portray the character that Cha Tae-hyun played very well in the original film. Likewise the other actors, also performed well in the remake HelloGhosts this, especially Enzy Storia who seems to be able to explore her character as well as the original version, especially Enzy Storia who seems to be able to explore the character of Sister Linda to the fullest. As for the color tone, there is little difference. Now the tone of this film looks darker in accordance with the economic conditions of the main character who is now moving to the apartment area.

Aspects of humor and emotion poured out to the fullest

Indeed, from a narrative point of view, there have been changes adapted to Indonesian culture, but that does not mean that humor and emotion cannot be shown. Rather HelloGhosts this can be presented to the fullest, just as good as the original version. Especially in the shocking climax scene. Everything was poured out to the fullest and full of emotion and tears. The message can be conveyed well, and that is what all filmmakers expect from the work they make.

Hello Ghost Conclusion

Remakes HelloGhosts the Indonesian version unexpectedly appeared surprising. Cineverse sees that the authenticity of this film is maintained the same as the original. There are no deviating changes at all, although of course it still adapts to our culture. The humorous side is able to throw out spontaneous jokes that can entertain us, the romantic and emotional side that is intertwined between the main characters also really touches the audience who sees it to the end.

Watch HelloGhosts simultaneously in all Indonesian cinemas starting May 11, 2023, and this film will make us laugh and cry until the end.

Director: Indra Gunawan

Cast: Onadio Leonardo, Enzy Storia, Indro Warkop, Tora Sudiro, Hesti Purwadinata, Ciara Nadine Brosnan, Yurike Prastika, Barry Prima, Jaja Miharja, Tarzan, Egy Fedly, Uli Herdinansyah

Duration: 90 Minutes

Score: 8.4/10