NARRATIVE HYBRIDITY, CULTURAL AUTHENTICATION, AND MARKET STRATEGIES IN HORROR CINEMA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18623/rvd.v22.n4.3616Keywords:
Southeast Asian Cinema, Supernatural Horror, Narrative Hybridity, Cultural Authentication, Streaming PlatformsAbstract
This study examines the hybrid narrative forms, cultural authentication strategies, and market adaptation mechanisms shaping Southeast Asian supernatural horror cinema. Focusing on films from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines, it analyzes how filmmakers blend indigenous spiritual systems—animism, Buddhism, Islam, and Catholicism—with global horror conventions. Using textual analysis, expert interviews, and industry mapping, the research reveals how ritual practices, sacred symbols, and historical settings function not only as markers of authenticity but also as epistemological anchors. A key finding is the emergence of "platform-oriented hybridity," where narratives are restructured to meet the demands of global streaming algorithms while preserving cultural specificity. These films thus serve as cultural texts negotiating identity, belief, and trauma within postcolonial contexts. The study contributes to discourses on global media, transnational genre flows, and the political economy of streaming by highlighting Southeast Asian horror cinema’s dual role as a site of cultural expression and industrial innovation. Recommendations stress deeper ethnographic engagement and equitable digital representation.
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