#MovieReview : Khadam (2026)

Assalamualaikum & hi!

Watched Khadam, and here's my thought...

After a long hiatus, here's another piece from RedComm, Khadam is the first horror/drama by RedComm, directed by Shamyl Othman and set in 1950. 

"Khadam" word itself is a Malay/Arabic, generally translated as servant or attendant. 

As a horror movie junkie, I would say Khadam is one of a kind piece, a movie that has a clear path and a smooth storyline. 

With the themes, family responsibility, generational trauma and the true meaning of love in marriage, Khadam invites the audience to question: Who is the real villain  in this story? 

3 Reasons to Watch 'Khadam (2026)' 

1. The Storyline

The narrative is very different from any other horror movies in the past.

The movie starts off with a very clear message, so, as an audience I didn't have to scouting around.

Melor lives with her two childrens, while taking care of her sick mother, whom die afterwards.

And the introductions of other characters, Manis, Melor's sister (played Siti Khadijah) & Awang, Melor's Husband (played by Dato'Remy Ishak) , came after half an hour throughout the movie. Thus it doesn't disturb us to fully understand Melor's character, first.

The plots are very structured. No flashback needed at all but the whole story is understandable. 

2. The Wardrobe

Oh I love the wardrobe!

Eventho the characters only wore classic attire like Baju Kurung & Kebaya, but their outfits still looks stunning & inspirational. Something fashion junkie will look forward! 

With zen choice of colours, classic designs of white top with tiny floral motives, and classic kain batik as bottom. The fashion is totally soothing. This truly portrays classic Malay attires during old times. 

3. The Cast

The performance of the casts, especially the main character, Melor by Aghniny Haque (from Indonesia), as a mute young mother, deserves most of the credits. Her expressions were top noch, where she doesn't event have to speak, to even make the audience understand the whole situations, as well as her emotions.

 On the other hand, kids actor & actress, Karl’El as Hitam & Zarra Zhaff as Puteh, did their part very well, too! Hitam playful characters fit perfectly into the movie; while Puteh perform so well, too, as a concern daughter & a protective sister.

Datuk Remy Ishak  plays the character as Awang, a harsh husband who is full of emotional conflicts in the family. Finally, Siti Khadijah Halim, a young actress plays Melor's younger sister, Manis, who tries to help save her family from the influence of saka.

 Synopsis of Khadam

After her mother's death, Melor is forced to inherit her family's Khadam, a perennial that has transformed into a more perfect version of herself. As the Khadam begins to take over her role as wife and mother, Melor must reclaim her life before she completely disappears.

Set in the 1950s, Khadam tells the story of Melor, a mute mother of two children who inherit her family's Khadam, saka that has been passed down from generation to generation. Knowing the dire consequences and the unbreakable bond, Melor made up her mind, NOT to become the new master of the entity.

In return, the saka began to disturb her family, especially her daughter, Puteh, who would also inherit it. In order to protect her children, Melor had to agree and appease the saka, just like her mother and grandmother had before. At first, the saka only followed orders. However, because Melor was a weak master, the entity slowly began to take over her.

Melor's sister, Manis, tries to persuade her to break the agreement. However, things get worse when Melor's hot-tempered husband, Awang, returns after months of working afar. Melor begins to lose her identity and became paranoid, while her control over the saka weakens.

At the same time, Puteh and Hitam (Melor's childrens) try to find the truth about the second "Melor" in their house. As the saka influence grows stronger and takes over Melor's life completely, Melor is finally forced to make a huge sacrifice to stop the darkness she has unleashed.

Khadam :  Movie Trivia

 

▪ Melor House moved from Raub to Gopeng

The houses used as Melor's house were actually dismantled one by one in Raub before being brought to Gopeng to be reassembled. 

The process of dismantling and reassembling these houses took weeks to create the atmosphere of a remote village in the 1950s.

▪ Melor House was specially designed for this film

The original zinc roof was changed to nipah leaves, while several parts were addedand modified to resemble a Malay house around the 1950s.

▪ Aghniny Haque's first Malaysian film

Khadam is the first Malaysian film starring famous Indonesian actress, Aghniny Haque.

▪ Zarra Zhaff and Karl'El are real siblings

Many viewers may not know that these two young actors in Khadam are actually siblings in real life.

▪ The sign language in Khadam was created especially for this film. 

The sign language used by Melor and his family is not real sign language, but was developed specifically for the movie Khadam, which is set in an isolated community in the 1950s.

▪ Aghniny does her own body bending action

In the body bending scene, Aghniny actually bent her own body in some early footage because she didn't realize the safety harness installed could support her weight.

▪ There are additional 'guests' in one  of the scene

In the scene where Puteh takes Nek Mak into the forest, only four additional actors were placed as mysterious figures. However, when the footage was examined, it was found that five figures were there in the scene.👻

Khadam Official Release, June 11th 2026

Ahead of its official release in over 120 cinemas nationwide starting June 11, Khadam presented itself cinematic work that raises the fears closest to the Malay community, the fear of an undeniable heritage, loyalty tested and the price that must be paid when humans choose to ally with evil.

With a combo of psychological horror elements, solid acting skills and strong visuals, this film has the potential to become one of the local horror films that leaves a deep impression to the audience.

Me during Khadam Media Screening, GSC Mid Valley.