The new Netflix Indonesian horror film Bayi Ajaib is a remake of the 1982 film that goes by the same name. Kosim’s life completely changed when he discovered a precious jewel in the river. Kosim, an ordinary farmer, turned into a wealthy landlord. While he and his wife, Laras, led a prosperous life, things took a turn when Laras got pregnant. In the village lived a black sorcerer, Dorman, who performed black magic to satisfy the soul of his late grandfather, Albert Dominique. Dorman was blessed with money in exchange for his dedication and service, but Albert’s demand from his grandson soon escalated. He demanded life in exchange for wealth. Dorman did not think twice; satisfying the soul of his grandfather was all that he cared about. One night, when Laras was returning home alone through the forest, she was haunted by footsteps, and she fell into the grave of Albert Dominique. The ghost of Albert forced himself upon Laras, and by the time she was rescued, she was in labor. It was a lunar eclipse night, and the baby Laras gave birth to was possessed by the spirit of Albert Dominique. Kosim was aware that his son, Didi, was no ordinary child, but he chose to always keep his truth a secret.
Spoilers Alert
Why Did Albert Dominique Possess Didi?
Albert Dominique wanted to cause havoc in the village, and he returned in the form of Kosim’s child, Didi. He was thirsty for blood, and as a little boy, he initially managed to easily escape from his crimes. Since the spirit of Albert Dominique was demonic, Didi experienced a strong repulsion whenever the verses of the Quran were chanted in front of him. On the day of his circumcision, Didi, with his extraordinary strength, bent the knife, making it impossible to perform circumcision. He also injured the people performing outside his house in the blink of an eye. Since Dorman had initiated the entire process, he was able to connect with the spirit of Albert, which often triggered him to show his cunning self. Meanwhile, the photographer who took pictures of Didi during the ceremony noticed that Didi’s face was replaced by that of an old man. As soon as he noticed the strange occurrence, he could sense a demonic presence in the room. He was soon attacked by Albert. Didi would stay unconscious when Albert took over his body. As a little boy, Didi had no intentions of harming the ones he loved, but the demonic spirit did not abide by any rules. Didi was friends with Rini, the daughter of Soleh, Kosim’s political opponent. Even though Albert wanted to harm Rini as well, it was Didi’s strong will to protect his friend that stopped the demonic spirit from harming her. Kosim knew that his son was connected to the multiple deaths that occurred in the village, but he was not ready to confront the truth. He noticed that Didi would often go missing at night, and when he magically returned, his feet were often covered in blood. As a father, Kosim was ready to fight every villager to protect his son, but the moment the harm fell on his family, he realized that the situation had escalated beyond his control.
Who Was Albert Dominique?
Unlike Kosim, Soleh was a religious man with a strong moral consciousness, and the villagers admired him. Dorman knew that his practice would be in danger if Soleh was elected to become the leader of the village. So, Dorman used black magic and attempted to poison Soleh. Thankfully, that night at dinner, Mr. Yasa, was present as well. He knew that the food was poisoned the moment he laid eyes on it. He narrated verses and chants that ultimately forced the demons that were trapped in the food to reveal themselves. Mr. Yasa concluded that such a devilish act could only be performed by Dorman. Later that night, Dorman tried to destroy Soleh once again by harming his daughter. While the demonic spirit wanted to attack Rini, Didi stopped the dark spirit from taking over his body. Rini had witnessed the dark side of Didi, but she was confident that it was not Didi who attacked her but the old man who lived in his body.
Upon listening to the entire incident, Mr. Yasa narrated the story of Dorman and his grandfather, Albert Dominique. Albert was a nefarious man of Portuguese descent. He had inherited wealth from his great-grandfather. Albert was arrogant about the wealth he possessed, and he tortured the villagers who opposed him to demonstrate his power. He was known for crushing the brains of monkeys, and he was infamous for raping the village girls. One night, the villagers united to fight Albert’s oppression. They forced him out of his house, and they ripped off his hands and legs to brutally punish him for the pain he inflicted upon them. Dorman was the only person capable of connecting with Albert’s spirit, and Mr. Yasa concluded that he used Didi as his medium to bring back Albert. Dorman was one of Albert’s unclaimed descendants, and he took pride in his ancestor. Both Dorman and Mr. Yasa were students of the same teacher, but Dorman dedicated himself to black magic to serve his crooked intentions. Mr. Yasa confessed that he did not come to the village only to educate the villagers about religion but to stop Dorman.
‘Bayi Ajaib’ Ending Explained: Did Albert Dominique Leave Kosim And His Family?
Kosim had paid and silenced every villager who dared to call his son ‘demonic,’ but when his own wife was attacked, he realized that it was time to confront the issue. When Didi got to know that his mother was pregnant, he was happy about it, but at the same time, he could sense that the dark side of him was not pleased with the news. He tried to warn his mother that there was “someone” who did not want him to have a sibling. Laras did not know what to make of her son’s warning. She was concerned about his well-being and had started to attend Quran recitals to protect her family from the devil. Right after warning his mother, Didi fell into the well. Laras got hold of Didi’s hand, but suddenly, instead of Didi, she saw an old man in the well. Albert stated that he did not wish to have a sibling and pulled Laras into the well. Laras screamed for help, but Didi was lost in his own world. Laras started to chant Quran verses, and that triggered Albert. He begged her to stop, and Kosim heard him scream. He rescued Laras, and when she came back to her senses, she stated that her son was possessed. Laras was convinced that they must repent for their greed, arrogance, and lack of faith.
The entire village started to search for Didi, but he was nowhere to be found. Didi, aka Albert, was bloodthirsty, and after hunting down the midwife who knew that Didi was possessed, he walked up to Soleh and attacked him. When Rini requested that Didi stop harming her father, he came back to his senses. Soleh brought Didi back to his home. Mr. Yasa came to the house to conduct an exorcism on Didi. Albert was not ready to leave the body, but when Laras and Mr. Yasa chanted verses from the Quran, he was forced to leave. Didi was finally rescued, and Kosim admitted that money was not everything, and he decided to follow the religious path. Even though Kosim was elected as the leader of the village, he announced that Soleh deserved the position. Everything had fallen into place, and the family was ready to welcome their new member. Kosim was confident that this time he and his wife would experience normal childbirth, but instead, it turned into another bloody affair. Laras was possessed by a demonic spirit, and it demanded Kosim fulfill his promise.
Bayi Ajaib ends with the demon forcing Kosim to choose between his two children to offer to the devil. It seems that even though Kosim repented his actions, the devil was not ready to let go of him. Kosim had lived a life of greed and self-indulgence, and he often mistreated the people around him. It is possible that he was being punished for all the wrongs that he committed in life. Since Albert had left Didi’s body and had taken Dorman to the other side of his grave to punish him, it is possible that the demonic spirit was not Albert’s. Maybe Kosim had made an arrangement with the demon when he was a farmer, and that was what helped him find the precious jewel in the first place. If we consider that the spirit was that of Albert, then maybe he returned to seek vengeance on the family. He was forced to leave Didi’s body, and he was hellbent on finding another way to return to the world. The ending of Bayi Ajaib leaves room to draw multiple conclusions, but in the end, the fate of Kosim and his family seems bleak.
