At the end of Sumala, it becomes clear that Kumala does not survive, but rather, her body is completely overtaken by the spirit of her twin sister, Sumala. The story of Kumala’s life has been filled with pain, neglect, and abuse, much of which was caused by her own parents. From the moment she was born, Kumala’s fate was sealed by a dark deal her mother, Sulastri, made with a shaman to have children. According to the terms of the agreement, one child would be raised with love while the other, an ugly child, would be sacrificed to the Devil. When Kumala’s twin sister, Sumala, was born, she was the one deemed ugly. In a fit of horror and disgust, Kumala’s father, Soedjiman, killed Sumala immediately after her birth, breaking the pact with the Devil.
This act of violence against his own daughter set into motion a series of tragic events that would shape Kumala’s life. As Kumala grew, she was not only abandoned emotionally by her parents, but her father also physically abused her due to her disability. Despite her mother’s occasional objections to this mistreatment, Sulastri never stopped it, and as a result, Kumala lived a miserable life. She was often bullied by the other children in the village, and her parents showed her no love or affection. This cruel treatment set the stage for the arrival of Sumala’s spirit, who returned to avenge her own death and to claim Kumala’s body.
Sumala’s return was not just a simple visit from the past; it was the beginning of a supernatural takeover. At first, Sumala seemed to be helping Kumala, offering her support and protection against the bullies. But as time went on, it became clear that Sumala’s intentions were far darker. Her ultimate goal was not just to avenge the wrongs done to Kumala, but to fully inhabit her twin sister’s body, a body she had been denied at birth. Kumala’s life began to spiral out of control as Sumala’s influence over her grew stronger, leading to a killing spree in which Kumala, under the control of her twin’s spirit, began murdering those who had tormented her.
As Kumala’s tenth birthday approached, it became clear that the terms of the deal made by Sulastri with the Devil were about to come to fruition. According to the shaman’s prophecy, when Kumala reached ten, the Devil would claim his part of the bargain, and Sumala’s spirit would take full control of Kumala’s body. Soedjiman, desperate to save his daughter, sought out the help of another shaman, Grandpa Kusno. Kusno offered Soedjiman two choices: one was to bring Kumala to him before her tenth birthday so that he could rid her of Sumala’s spirit; the other was much darker. If Soedjiman failed to act before Kumala turned ten, he would have no choice but to kill her himself in order to stop the evil spirit from fully taking control. Soedjiman, torn between his love for his daughter and the horrors of what needed to be done, hesitated when the time came.
This hesitation would cost him dearly. When Soedjiman finally had the chance to kill Kumala and prevent Sumala from taking over, he faltered, overwhelmed with guilt. He apologized to Kumala, telling her he would take her to the shaman to be healed. But in that moment of doubt, Sumala returned with full force, attacking Soedjiman and leaving him with no choice but to stab Kumala with a blessed blade. The shaman had predicted that the blade would kill Sumala, but what he did not foresee was the opposite nature of the twins. While Kumala’s heart was on the left side of her body, Sumala’s was on the right. Soedjiman’s attempt to kill Kumala failed because he stabbed her on the left side, completely missing Sumala’s heart. This meant that Kumala was not killed, and instead, Sumala’s spirit completely overtook her body.
In the end, Kumala was lost forever. The girl who had suffered so much in her short life, the girl who had been abused and abandoned by her parents, was no longer the person who inhabited her own body. Instead, Sumala’s evil spirit now controlled her, and Kumala’s soul was gone. The film ends with the terrifying realization that the villagers, who had already suffered so much, would now be at the mercy of Sumala, who would continue her reign of terror. So, while Kumala’s body might still be alive, it was no longer her. Sumala had claimed it, and there was no turning back from the consequences of the broken deal with the Devil.