The Sacred Riana is one of the most terrifying acts in the history of America’s Got Talent. Appearing during the show’s 13th season, in 2018, The Sacred Riana shocked all four judges with a series of disturbing magic performances. It wasn’t just the 26-year-old illusionist’s eerie, haunted school girl persona that set Spice Girl judge, Mel B, on the edge of her seat – this act came packed with twists and turns; conjurations, illusions, jumpscares, and the enthralling mysteries of black magic.
Born Marie Antoinette Riana Graharani, The Sacred Riana keeps her Indonesian roots at the heart of her act. Themes extracted from Asian horror films form the sinister backdrop against which her mind-boggling tricks unfold. And her magic isn’t just a show. Riana’s father is supposedly a “spiritual magician,” suggesting her startlingly real connection to forces beyond this world.
The ominous stories like these flesh out The Sacred Riana’s terrifying performances. Her doll, named Riani, is supposedly possessed by a child’s spirit and is the force behind Riana’s ghastly, uncontrollable head twitching. The final performance leaves your skin crawling, even more so once her illusions are brought to life.
For her AGT audition, The Sacred Riana spooked the judges into nervous laughter before commencing her murder-mystery themed magic and photographing a ghost lurking behind Mel B. For her second performance, a wax candle sparked itself to life, words manifested on blank pages of a book and an “imaginary friend” embodying a clone of Riana sprung impossibly out of an empty box.
Her quarter-final show saw a cut-out photo of Mel B’s face appear on a child’s doll, before a suspenseful horror plot engulfed the performance, ending in Riana spider-climbing a vertical wall backwards to escape the mass of enclosing clones. But these cinematics fell flat for the voting audience, and The Sacred Riana was eliminated.
With 92 million views on her official America’s Got Talent compilation video, Riana staked her claim as a TV legend. However, this wasn’t Riana’s first mind-bending appearance on a TV talent show. Only one year before becoming a quarter-finalist on America’s Got Talent, The Sacred Riana won the entire 2nd season of Asia’s Got Talent. Following her short run on Britain’s Got Talent: The Champions in 2019, Riana now performs her captivating magic act at her very own live shows. With 661k Instagram followers and a lead role in her own Indonesian horror movie franchise, The Sacred Riana, this act continually haunts the memories of all those who’ve witnessed Riana’s extraordinary illusions.
If you enjoy performances that send chills down your spine, check out The Sacred Riana. Born Marie Antoinette Riana Graharani, this illusionist brings her Indonesian roots to the forefront of her act, creating a truly terrifying experience. Explore more of her conjurations, jumpscares, and macabre illusions by subscribing to her YouTube channel and following her on Instagram. Watch as her horrifying performances featuring her possessed doll, Riani, come to life and leave you spooked long after the show ends.