Indonesian Horror Film Pabrik Gula Make $7 Millions Before Its U.S. Release

Indonesia’s highest-grossing movie of 2025, Pabrik Gula (Sugar Mill), has enthralled viewers with its spooky imagery and terrifying tale based on regional mythology. A joint production of MD Pictures, EST Studios, and N8 Studios, this spooky thriller centers on seasonal laborers who are stranded in a haunted sugar mill in rural Java and must battle malevolent supernatural forces. It has become a regional hit in Southeast Asia due to its fusion of horror and local mythology.

Movie Release Date 

The movie’s quick ascent to fame follows its March 26 premiere at AMC The Grove in Los Angeles, and it will make its theatrical release in the US on April 18.

The Writer

Other celebrities and members of Hollywood’s horror scene, including as Tara Reid, Colton Tran, 1923’s Sebastien Roché, and Carey W. Hayes, the author of The Conjuring franchise, attended the event. The cultural significance of the film was highlighted by the presence of Purnomo Ahmad Chandra, the Consul General of Indonesia.

Director

The filmmaker, Awi Suryadi, who is also credited with directing Indonesia’s highest-grossing movie ever, KKN di Desa Penari, stressed the value of fusing traditional aspects with contemporary storytelling: The stories we tell are based on our mythology, our fears, and our geography, but horror is a universal experience. “Pabrik Gula” is unique because it is both profoundly Indonesian and profoundly human.

Offering a distinctively Southeast Asian twist on traditional horror themes, Pabrik Gula hopes to follow in the footsteps of popular international horror films like The Ring, Train to Busan, and Hereditary with a wide distribution scheduled across American theaters.

Box Office Colletion 

Pabrik Gula (Sugar Mill), a recent horror film from Indonesia, has made $7 million at the local box office, making it the highest-grossing picture of 2025 in its own country.

Storyline

A joint production of MD Pictures, EST Studios, and N8 Studios, this spooky thriller has enthralled viewers throughout Southeast Asia with its unsettling imagery, a tale rooted in regional tradition, and an abundance of horrors. Inspired by local folklore, the film follows seasonal laborers who are stranded in a haunted sugar mill in rural Java and have to battle malevolent supernatural creatures.