The Act of Killing
“A story of killers who win and the society they build.”
In this chilling and groundbreaking documentary, former Indonesian death squad leaders reenact their real-life mass killings in the style of various film genres. As they recreate their past atrocities, the line between reality and performance blurs, exposing the lingering impact of Indonesia's 1965-66 anti-communist purge and the unsettling psychology of its perpetrators.
Genres
Documentary, History
Studio
Final Cut for Real
Language
da
Status
Released
How The Act of Killing performed
Budget
$1.0M
Worldwide Gross
$722,714
Gross Profit
−$277,286
Return
0.7× budget
Opening Wknd (est.)
$139K
Source: TMDB. Domestic/international split (~55/45, genre-typical) and the opening-weekend figure (35% of the domestic run, typical for Documentary) are MoviesRankd estimates. Profit is gross revenue minus production budget and excludes marketing — studios typically need ~2–2.5× budget to break even.
Where to Watch
Cast
Self - Executioner in 1965
Anwar Congo
Self - Executioner in 1965
Self - Gangster & Paramilitary Leader
Herman Koto
Self - Gangster & Paramilitary Leader
Self - Governor of North Sumatra
Syamsul Arifin
Self - Governor of North Sumatra
Self - Newspaper Publisher
Ibrahim Sinik
Self - Newspaper Publisher
Self - Leader of Pancasila Youth
Yapto Soerjosoemarno
Self - Leader of Pancasila Youth
Self - Local Paramilitary Leader
Safit Pardede
Self - Local Paramilitary Leader
Self - Vice President of Indonesia
Jusuf Kalla
Self - Vice President of Indonesia
Self - Fellow Executioner in 1965
Adi Zulkadry
Self - Fellow Executioner in 1965
Self - Anwar's Neighbor
Suryono
Self - Anwar's Neighbor
Self - Member of North Sumatra Parliament
Haji Marzuki
Self - Member of North Sumatra Parliament
Self - Paramilitary Leader & Businessman
Haji Anif
Self - Paramilitary Leader & Businessman
Self - Member of Parliament
Rahmat Shah
Self - Member of Parliament
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