Story: An American woman asks her Indonesian boyfriend to help her investigate Balinese black magic known as ‘Leyak’. Leyak is the most powerful black magic there is, and she soon begins to pay a terrible cost when she turns into a flying head that feasts on unborn babies.

Review: Some Horror movie buffs may claim that ‘Mystics In Bali’ is a fantastic forgotten cult classic. In fact, it’s such a dated and maniacally inept piece of filmmaking that one wonders whether director H. Tjut Djalil had even seen a movie before someone put him in charge of this atrocious mess.

Mystics In Bali is based on Indonesian mythology, and for a supernatural culture largely undiscovered by Western movie fans, this could have been a real treat. Leyak magic is Indonesian black magic, and as we are reminded every three minutes, ‘the Leyak is the most powerful of all black magic’. Practitioners of this dark art possess many powers, and are able to take on the form of any living object, which leaves one wondering how such a tasty shape-shifting premise turned into such plotless, shapeless goo

Hendra, a local guy, is dating one butt-ugly white chick, Kathy. She wants to investigate Leyak, which is the most powerful of all black magic, and they organise to go and meet a Leyak priest. They meet her, and she’s moderately spooky, so they go back to the hotel, and have a conversation about Leyak (which is the most powerful of all black magic). Then some strange things begin to happen, then they stop, and the couple go for a walk, so that they can discuss how Leyak magic is the most powerful…(get the picture?). This torture goes on for far too long, as plot points are repeated and re-explained again and again. The script also has an odd habit of describing obvious events as they are happening, just in case we are having trouble following this remedial level nonsense.

The dubbed dialogue is absolutely atrocious, but at times an ironic saving grace. It probably bares no relation to the original script, but given as it’s the only audio choice available on this disk reviewed, it just has to be endured. Did I mention that Leyak magic is the most powerful of all black magic?

The main reason anybody would watch Mystics In Bali is for horror thrills, and there are a few, but they are pretty weak. There’s a flying head which has the body’s internal organs trailing behind, along with a little foetus eating and an evil sorcerer, but it’s all pretty dull, as well as poorly executed.

The scariest thing about the movie is leading lady Llona Agathe Bastian. With a face like a bulldog licking piss off a nettle, she is so wooden and docile throughout the movie that it becomes apparent there’s something unsettling about her, something genetically left of centre. In fact, you have to wonder if she’s a bit…you know, ‘Special’. It’s no surprise to discover that she was never an actress at all, but a German tourist spotted in Bali by one of the producers.

Despite being a painful experience, there are some vague charms. Yes, we are in true B-movie territory, and at times it amuses. The dialogue throws up the occasional gem. From the way Kathy inexplicably pronounces ‘Hendra’ differently to all the other characters in the film, to Hendra’s irresistible chat-up lines, there are a few corkers to keep us interested. Even the effects are at times entertaining, but for all the wrong reasons, and the finale (if you can make it that far) is a glimpse of how good the movie could have been if it had been any good at all.

While the more hardcore B-movie fanatics will view ‘Mystics In Bali’ as a rare treat from the dark depths of world cinema, the majority of viewers will be mysteriously drawn by toward the ‘Eject’ button by forces beyond their comprehension. At least it reminds us an important lesson – that Leyak is the most powerful of ALL black magic.