Indonesian horror

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Indonesian horror includes stories and films from Indonesia that often draw on local folklore and religion. Works have been made since the 1960s, but production slowed during Suharto’s dictatorship in the 1990s because of censorship. After Reformasi in 1998, horror films continued. Ghosts and magical folklore are part of Indonesian culture, with the Kuntilanak as a well-known figure. Under the New Order, many films used religious symbols and heroes to meet censorship rules set by the government.

Scholar Thomas Barker says post-1998 films carry a sense of trauma from the previous regime. Suzzanna was a major horror star in the 1970s and 1980s. In the late 2010s, Indonesian horror gained international attention, especially the work of Joko Anwar, helped by streaming services. Impetigore (2019) was seen as part of a Southeast Asian folk-horror wave and was Indonesia’s submission for the Best International Feature Film at the Oscars, though it was not nominated. HBO Asia aired the Indonesian horror series Halfworlds. Common themes include haunted forests like Alas Pati: Hutan Mati (2018) and stand-alone ghost stories. There are also Indonesian horror video games based on folklore, such as DreadOut and Pamali: Indonesian Folklore Horror.