Directed by JeroPoint, “Tumbal Proyek” essentially means human sacrifice that must be conducted in order to placate the local Gods and Goddesses for the successful completion of major projects like bridges and buildings. The film revolves around a family of four that includes Bayu, the father, Yuda, the son, Laras, the sister, and Martha, the mother. After Bayu dies while working on the construction of the Suramadu Bridge, Yuda takes it upon himself to uncover the mystery of his father’s death. While the family is at the construction site, they come across sinister activities that change their lives forever. [Spoilers Ahead]
What Happened To Bayu Five Years Ago?
The movie opens with a scene that took place five years ago in 2004. Bayu and Rudi were construction workers at Surajaya Construction, and their job entailed building the Suramadu bridge, along with others. They had been given a deadline by which they were supposed to finish their work. However, there was something evil happening at the project site. Both Bayu and Rudi were aware of it, but they did not completely understand the mystery. One night, when they were conversing about the same topic, Bayu was taken away from their room in the workers’ apartment to the project site. It was revealed that the bosses of the project were involved in Satanic rituals that were performed by experts (evil priests) for its successful completion. That year, i.e. 2004, a total of fourteen people went missing at the construction site. They were declared to be dead, but the bodies of the deceased were never given to their families. Surajaya Construction concealed the real cause of their death and portrayed those as mere accidents that happened during work. Nevertheless, that was not the case, because those workers, including Bayu, were sacrificed in Satanic rituals. His family, Yuda, Laras and Martha, have been trying to find the real reason for his death since then, but they could not get to the bottom of the mystery for five whole years.
Why Does Yuda Stop Laras And Martha From Going To The Project Site?
Since Bayu’s death in 2004, Yuda has been suspicious of his father’s accident. He has an idealized image of his father in his heart, and tries his best to uncover the truth regarding his father’s death. In order to unfold the mystery, he takes up the position of a supervisor at the same construction site. Yuda tries to convince Laras that it is not a safe place for them to live, but she does not listen to him because she is tired of taking care of their mother for all these years. Laras has been listening to everybody but her own heart. She needs to fulfill her dreams as well. Hence, along with Yuda, Laras too takes up a job at the construction company. She does not know about the rituals yet, but Yuda gives her a hint that something dark must be going on at the site. Moreover, their mother, Martha, has high blood pressure, and she has been traumatized after Bayu’s death. She talks and calls for her husband, Bayu, in her sleep, and has not spent a single day without remembering him. Martha loved her husband too much, which is why she does not reveal Bayu’s real self to her children. Martha knew that Bayu was cheating on her when he was alive. Besides her, he had another wife near the construction site, with whom he even had a son named Wahyu. Martha never revealed this truth to Yuda or Laras because she did not want to ruin the good image of their father which they had in mind.
What Is Happening To The Children?
While the Suramadu bridge is being constructed, many children are going missing near the project site. A 10-year-old girl has been reported missing after playing in the project area. The local authorities confirm that investigations are still ongoing, but they have not found any resolution yet. Well, it turns out that the children are abducted by the workers of the project. They are tied up and kept locked inside a room for the sacrifice happening later that night. As the Suro nights are approaching, the workers prepare for a larger sacrifice and this time, it includes children as well. It is believed that children are innocent, and their souls greatly pacify the demons that the workers are worshipping. Among all the children, Intan, daughter of Wati (one of Laras’ colleagues), is one of them. On the night of the ritual, the evil priest smashes geckos and sacrifices a rooster to drink a concoction of their blood. While the Satanic ritual is ongoing, to save Intan, Wati, Laras, and Yuda, interfere with the process. Unfortunately, they are unable to save Intan because the evil priest kills her by cutting her throat. Wati witnesses the entire thing happening in front of her eyes, and she loses control over herself. Seconds after she commits suicide, chaos unfurls in the workers’ apartment because they get possessed, killing each other and themselves. This would not have happened if they did not interfere with the ritual. Since the ritual remains incomplete, more sacrifices are required to satiate the demons.
What Happens To Yuda When He Gets To Know About Bayu’s Secret?
Yuda joined the construction company in order to find the truth about his father’s death, but he comes across something cruel. He loses his faith in his father once he gets to know about Bayu’s infidelity and Wahyu. The perfect image that he had of his father gets crushed instantaneously. He was supposed to be the messiah of the people who were dying at the construction site, but his vulnerability turns him into the next monster. Yuda is abducted by the evil priest who tells him that the next sacrifice should either be him or his sister. He also mentions that the executioner must kill seven lives to appease the devil, and Yuda takes this as an opportunity to become one of them.
What Happens To Yuda And Laras In The End?
In the end, Yuda does become the executioner. In order to stop the chaos, he bulldozes seven people in the ritual that includesRudi. All of the three people who were involved in his father’s sacrifice are killed one by one by Yuda. In a state of trance, Yuda even bulldozes a possessed Martha, who invites death herself to join her husband. The film ends with Yuda becoming the new boss of the Surajaya Construction Company. His sister, Laras, works along with him, and they decide to take up on a new project. I strongly believe that the cycle of sacrifices does not end here; instead, Yuda is going to carry it forward.
