“Ibu” from Satan’s Slave (2017) became one of Southeast Asia’s most unforgettable horror figures (Photo: IMDb)
🎧 Opening
😨 Have you ever had that feeling?
You suddenly get goosebumps. 🥶
And from the corner of your eye, you’re convinced someone is watching you. 👀
But when you turn around, no one’s there. 🚪
Then a drop of liquid falls from above. 💧
At first, you think it’s water. But it’s red. 🩸
And when you slowly look up…
Boo! 👻 Something is there, just as you feared.
That’s more or less what it feels like to watch a horror movie. 🎬
Watching horror movies leaves you with an uncomfortable feeling, and yet, people choose to do exactly that. 😅
Why do we willingly scare ourselves? 🤔
And why does Southeast Asia seem so good at scaring people? 🌏👻
Let’s find out. 🔍
🎙️ Hello and welcome to The Southeast Asia Desk Weekly Dispatch Podcast.
I’m Rheza Ardiansyah. This is where we slow down the headlines and make sense of the stories shaping Southeast Asia. 🧭
👻 Why Do People Watch Horror Movies?
😱 Some people watch horror movies for the adrenaline rush.
😬 Others are terrified the entire time... and somehow keep watching anyway.
Why? 🤔
Let me help you unpack that. 🔍
According to a BBC article published in October 2025, there are at least three types of people who enjoy horror movies. 🎬👻
First, the Adrenaline Junkies. ⚡
These are the people who genuinely enjoy the thrill and excitement that comes with being scared.
Second, the White Knucklers. 😨✊
They don’t necessarily enjoy being scared, but they do enjoy overcoming fear and making it through the experience.
And third, the Dark Copers. 🌑🧠
These are people who use horror as a way to remind themselves that they are safe in their own lives. For some, it can even help them manage anxiety or depression.
So... 👀
Which one sounds most like you?
Interestingly, researchers in the Netherlands 🇳🇱 have used a similar principle to help children manage anxiety through a video game called *MindLight*. 🎮💡
The game takes place inside a haunted house filled with monsters. 🏚️👹
If the player stays calm during an attack, the monster transforms into a friendly kitten. 🐱✨
But if fear takes over, a message appears offering techniques to help the player relax before moving forward. 🧘♀️💭
And the results are promising. 📈
Several clinical studies found that children who regularly played the game reported lower levels of anxiety in everyday life. 😊
Another interesting finding is that researchers describe the brain as an “anticipatory engine.” 🧠⚙️
It’s constantly trying to predict what might happen next.
And horror movies provide just enough uncertainty to keep that system engaged. 🎭❓
In a way, they allow us to rehearse fear in a relatively safe environment. 🎢🛡️
So apparently...
👻 Horror offers more benefits than we might think. 💡✨
🎭 Southeast Asian Horror Hits Different, Doesn’t It?
👻 Now, speaking of fear...
Many horror fans would argue that Asian horror feels different. 🎬😨
And Southeast Asia is no exception. 🌏
Today, Southeast Asian horror spans everything from 🧠 psychological horror and 🔪 slashers to 🩸 gore, 👹 monsters, and 🌿 folk horror.
But one subgenre still dominates:
👻 supernatural horror.
Stories built around ghosts, spirits, demons, and things that don’t quite belong to the world of the living. 🌑🕯️
And when those stories are mixed with local beliefs, folklore, and traditions, the tension becomes even stronger. 📖✨
Why?
Because they feel familiar. 🏠
The more familiar the story, the scarier it becomes. 😱
Just compare 🤡 Chucky to a 🎎 Jelangkung, a doll made from a coconut shell and wooden sticks.
Which one do you think is scarier? 👀
Personally, I’ve had nights where I couldn’t sleep because of that wooden doll. 😬🌙
🛏️💭 Somehow, a toy possessed by an evil spirit is scary...
But a homemade doll tied to local ghost stories and childhood warnings? 👻🥥🌿
That hits differently. 😨✨
🎬 Southeast Asian Horror Recommendations
🎬 Want to see for yourself?
👻 Here are a few Southeast Asian horror films worth checking out.
🇹🇭 First, Shutter (2004) from Thailand.
📸 The story follows a photographer haunted by mysterious apparitions after a tragic hit-and-run accident.
Widely regarded as one of Asia’s most influential horror films, it’s the kind of movie that makes you think twice before looking at your photos. 😨🖼️
🇵🇭 Second, Eerie (2018) from the Philippines.
🏫 The story follows a guidance counsellor with clairvoyant abilities as she investigates the mysterious death of a student at a Catholic girls’ school.
⛪👻 Think haunted hallways, dark secrets, and supernatural forces lurking behind closed doors.
🇻🇳 Third, The Ancestral (2022) from Vietnam.
🏠 A widowed father moves his daughters into their ancestral home, only to discover that something else may already be living there.
🌑👤 As family secrets unravel, the house becomes a place where the past refuses to stay buried.
🇲🇾🇸🇬 And fourth, Revenge of the Pontianak (2019), a Malaysian-Singaporean production.
🧕👻 The film revisits the legend of the Pontianak, a woman who dies during childbirth and returns seeking revenge.
🌙 Set against a backdrop of folklore, superstition, and forbidden love, it brings one of Southeast Asia’s most enduring ghost stories back to life.
🍿 So if you’re looking for something spooky for your next movie night...
👀 Southeast Asia has plenty of nightmares to offer. 😱🎥✨
🌏 Southeast Asian Horror Goes Global
🌏👻 And it’s not just audiences in Southeast Asia who are paying attention.
🎬 Some of these films have earned recognition far beyond the region.
Take 🇲🇾 Roh (2019) and 🇮🇩 Perempuan Tanah Jahanam—internationally known as Impetigore (2019).
🇲🇾 Roh, which means “soul” in Malay, follows a family living deep in the forest whose lives are disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious little girl. 🌳👧🌑
The film stands out through its blend of ☪️ Islamic folklore, 🪄 Malay black magic, and an atmospheric rainforest setting. 🌴🌫️
Meanwhile, 🇮🇩 Impetigore follows a toll booth worker who returns to her ancestral village hoping to claim an inheritance. 🏡💰
Instead, she discovers that the villagers believe she is connected to a generations-old curse. 😨🩸👻
Both films were screened at international film festivals 🎞️🌍 and selected as their countries’ official submissions for 🏆 Best International Feature Film at the 2021 Academy Awards.
Neither made the final shortlist. ❌🏆
But the recognition itself says a lot about how far Southeast Asian horror has travelled. ✈️👻🌏
🎥 Impetigore, for example, was picked up by 📺 Shudder, one of the largest horror streaming platforms in the United States.
That means stories rooted in local folklore, village myths, and regional beliefs are no longer just scaring audiences at home. 🏠👀
🌍 They’re haunting viewers around the world. 😱✨👻
🏁 Closing
So what have we learned? 🤔
Apparently, getting scared can be good for us. 👻🧠
At least sometimes. 😅
Maybe don’t watch these movies alone. 🚶♂️🌙
Especially at night. 🌑👀
Because once Southeast Asian horror gets into your head...
👻💭 It tends to stay there for a while.
And judging by the recognition these films have received, the world seems to agree. 🌏🎬🏆
Stories rooted in local folklore, supernatural beliefs, and regional traditions are no longer just scaring audiences in Southeast Asia.
😱 They’re haunting viewers around the globe.
🎙️ I’m Rheza Ardiansyah, and this has been The Southeast Asia Desk Weekly Dispatch Podcast, where we slow down the noise and follow the region’s compass. 🧭
📩 If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our newsletter at thesoutheastasiadesk.com, and join us again next weekend for stories to linger over—
☕ one weekend at a time. 👻✨
